CHAPTER IV. 
PasserRinE Brrps—continued. 
Fiycarcuers, THrusHes, Xe. 
THE FLYCATCHERS. 
THESE are a numerous body of little birds, usually less 
than a sparrow in size, and distinguished by short weak 
feet and thin flattened bills with a bristly moustache at 
the base. They are generally solitary and havea habit 
of repeatedly darting out at insects and returning to 
the same perch. Many species are found in India, either 
constantly or as winter visitors, but they are not interest- 
ing as a group, though no doubt useful in a humble way, 
as they feed almost entirely on flying insects, with 
which India is undoubtedly overstocked. Three of the 
most common and striking species may be noticed here. 
THE Parapise Fuycarcuer (Terpsiphone paradise), 
figured on Plate I (Fig. 2), is well known to the natives 
as the Doodhrajy or Shah Bulbul. It is, although light 
and slender in make, a large bird for one of this family, 
the male being about nine inches long without the long 
centre tail-feathers, which extend a foot or more beyond 
the rest. The hens and the young males during their first 
year, have not this remarkable elongation of the tail, 
but they are easily distinguished from all our other’ 
small birds notwithstanding. The colour is a_ rich 
