€ 85 4) 
equally as good, and one wonders, how the mother can remember 
who has had the last mouthful, for she invariably has some scientific 
method unknown to mortals. Male bird appears to take matters 
more leisurely for he is observed, quietly hopping about some twenty 
yards off, and when a worm is secured he flies in amongst them, 
with a well calculated dash, shoves caterpillar down the throat of 
one it is, or it may be, intended for, and is off again with a chirp of 
satisfaction, as much as to say “keep them on the trot old girl, I 
must be off for my nerves can’t stand this noise and racket !” fe 
general appearance this stone-chat is a sooty black ; lower breast, 
thighs and undertail coverts white, a good part of the tail is the 
same, with lateral feathers broadly tipped white. 
SUB-FAMILY RUTICILLIN4& 
These birds are not unlike the last mentioned group in habits 
generally. They are slender in form and graceful in build, with 
longer tarsi and feet though Stone-chats. In colour some groups dis- 
play, bright rufous, more or less, others again ashy grey, dull 
blackish blue or plumbeous. — u/icillinw usually jerk up the tail in a 
typical manner, when alighting on a branch, or on the land, like 
Wagtails. These characteristic vibrations of the tail are varied to 
no small extent in such groups as Myiomela, Niltava, Ruficilla, 
Pipastes, etc. 
GENUS RUTICILLA, as a rule retire, to high altitudes to build 
their nests. Extreme cold of winters usually drive them down to 
warmer and more congenial elevations. Most of the species, in big 
numbers visit the plains of India in the cold season. Some few 
remain behind and are found in and about Darjeeling. An exa- 
~ mination of the leading features of this group will show that, bill is 
short, straight and slender ; wings longish and pointed, 5th and 6th 
primaries longest ; tail fairly even and of moderate length ; tarsus is 
typically longish and slender. This latter characteristic, makes 
these birds more adapted for the land than perching on trees. 
Their song is bright and cheerful. 
(495) RUTICILLA PHANICURA, European Redstart, is rarely 
found in the plains in winter. In this district it ascends to a high 
altitude to build. I found a few of these birds early in spring at 
Sandakphu, seemingly preferring the cold inhospitable summits, at 
this season of the year, on Singalillas. Occasionally you find a soli- 
tary pair or two at a lower elevation on the same spur of mountains, 
18 
