4G6 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



304. Cyornis rubeculoides, Vigors. 



Phasnicura apud Vigors, P. Z. S., 1831 — Gould, Cent. Ilim. 

 B., pi. 25, f. 1— Blyth, Cat. 1017— Horsf., Cat. 446— Niltava 

 brevipes, Hodgson — Muse, rubecula, Swains, (the female). — 

 Chatkij Beng. — Manzhil-pho, Lepch. — 



The Blue-throated Redbreast. 



Descr. — Male — The head, neck, and body above, dark blue ; 

 forehead, and shoulder of the wing, bright pale blue ; lores, ear- 

 coverts, and frontal plumes, black ; inner webs of quills, and of the 

 tail-feathers (and the whole under surface of these), dusky-black ; 

 throat dark blue ; neck and breast bright rufous ; abdomen white. 



The female is olive-brown above, with a rufous breast and white 

 belly. 



Bill black ; legs brown ; irides dark brown. 



Length 5| inches ; extent 9 ; wing 3| ; tail 2| ; bill at front 12 

 mill. ; tarsus y^. I know not what induced Bonaparte to class 

 this bird along with the stout-legged Ruticilla caruleocephala, 

 under his genus Adelura. 



It is found throughout the Himalayas, visiting the plains 

 of India in the cold season, and extending into Arakan and Tenas- 

 serim. It is rare in the south of India, but I have procured it 

 both on the East and Western coast. It is tolerably common 

 about Calcutta in the cold weather. I saw it frequently near 

 Darjeeling, at from 4,000 to 6,000 feet of elevation. It usually 

 sits quietly on a low branch, captures a few insects on the wing, 

 and then moves off to another tree. Hutton obtained the nest at 

 Mussooree, in holes of banks, and in clefts of rocks, made of moss 

 lined with black fibres,' and Avith four or five pale olive-green eggs, 

 indistinctly clouded with dull rufous. The male has a pleasing 

 sonff, which he warbles forth from the midst of some bush. 



305. Cyornis banyumas, Horsf, 



Muscicapa apud Horsfield, Zool. Res. Java, pi. — Blyth, Cat. 

 1018— HoRSF., Cat. 447 — Jerdon, Cat. 150 — Sykes, Cat. 41— 

 M. rufigast^a, Raffl.— M. cantatrix, Temm., PI. Col. 226. 



