(1-1 5ee) 
and its readiness to learn short phrases and snatches of some fami- 
liar song. A few years ago, in the plains I heard a_ poor little 
captive species of this bird, which sweetly warbled in a far away 
voice Nabizee rozi da do”, literally translated, would be “Give us 
this day our daily bread”, which sounded quite pathetic, seeing the 
surroundings and proceeding from such a helpless, tiny, thankful, 
being (mortal), with irresistable pleading eyes. 
(476) KrrracINcLA MACROURA, Shama, is perhaps one of the 
richest songsters we have, even surpassing Dayal in sweetness of voice. 
Its little vesper hymn carries with it the solemnity of the place and 
hour ; but it seems oftener in confinement that we have seen it than 
when, in its native bower singing its, low melodious song in Sub- 
Himalayan forests. At times in Terai jungles. There is one bird I 
think, which surpasses, Shama, in richness of song ; but I shall men- 
tion it when I come to the warblers. You have to enter dense 
stately forests in the Terai to see and hear Shama at its best. This 
species is 12 inches, owing to its lengthened tail which is quite 
8 inches long, otherwise it is about as small as Magpie Robin. The 
plumage is glossy black on the head, neck, back and wing coverts ; 
breast ; belly and under tail coverts are deep chesnut ; tail black 
tipped with white ; bill is black ; irides deep brown. 
(477) MYIoMELA LEUCURA, /Vhite-tailed Blue-chat, is somewhat 
after the copsychus style and build, robinlike in habits, though 
perhaps not so friendly. This Blue-chat is to be seen in Darjeeling 
in spring and during the rains. Its song is not unlike a high 
pitched, flute-like tone, of three notes, the last prolonged. This 
song we might call it, is often heard from May to July proceeding 
from some thick tangled brush-wood jungle, where it frequents, but 
seldom shows itself out in the open. When it makes a change of 
perch or lands on the ground, it usually jerks up its tail in the 
manner of a Redstart or Chat. Its round black body with pure 
white tail generally makes it, easily distinguished. The loud clear 
flute-like call irom a perch on lower branches of a tree or shrub, is 
often misleading, and one, imagines that, the sound to be, proceed- 
ing from a much further distance from where the bird really is. 
Myiomela is often seen in the vicinity of wild raspberry, bushes, 
picking off ripe fruit in company with sibias, hill-tits and flower- 
peckers. It is 74 inches in length. Colour of Ayiomela as a whole 
shows black from a distance ; but a closer examination proves it to 
be dark indigo blue. White of the outer-tail feathers shows out 
prominently. This bird seems to prefer high altitudes. It can be 
met with up to the elevation of Tongloo. Eggs of this Blue-chat 
are oblong and much the same grain, colour and texture of shell as 
Niltava Sundara’s egg, in particular, I saw a nest not so long ago in 
