Capt. Bcavan 07i various Indian Birds. 1C7 



Head, nape, breast, and lower parts dull, dark brownish- 

 black ; back and upper tail-coverts partially so ; wings and tail 

 black, with purple reflections. Irides dark brown ; orbital skin 

 black, but below the eyes flesh-coloured. Bare skin on each 

 side below the lower mandible, and at the gape, pinkish flesh- 

 colour. Upper mandible, and terminal half of lower mandible, 

 black ; rest of the latter lead colour, becoming lighter at the 

 base. Inside of mouth the same ; soles dirty-brown ; legs and 

 claws black. 



666. NuciFEAGA HEMispiLA. Himalayan Nutcracker. 



I shot a solitary specimen on the ground, at the watershed 

 of the Balasun and Little Eungeet rivers, on the march to 

 Tongloo in April 1862, starting from Darjeeling, 



Mahasoo, Oct. 2, 1866. This bird is apparently not uncom- 

 mon on this range, though very scarce close to Simla. 



Length 14<*75 ; wing 8*5 ; tail 5'5 ; tarsus rather more than 

 1*5 ; spread of foot underneath 2'25 ; bill from front 1*75, from 

 gape 2*125 ; extent 24 ; irides dark-brown. The bill and legs 

 of this specimen are covered with a black pitch-like sub- 

 stance. 



In this female the head is jet-black ; wings black, tending to 

 brown on the tertials and upper wing-coverts ; the tail has twelve 

 feathers, the middle pair black, the rest with tips of pure white, 

 increasing in length from the middle outwardly till the exterior 

 pair are half white. Under tail-coverts more white, the rest of 

 the bird brown, with white centres to the breast-feathers. 



The Himalayan Nutcracker is tolerably abundant in the ilex- 

 woods about Fagoo dak-bungalow. It is generally seen in 

 pairs, but is exceedingly wary and difficult of approach. Its 

 loud harsh scream may frequently be heard from the bungalow 

 itself, and the bird occasionally seen flying from tree to tree, or 

 soaring, now and then. Flycatcher-like ; but one can seldom get 

 within shot of it. At Annandale I once saw a pair about the 

 gardens. They probably visit the woods there during the winter 

 months, when driven down by heavy snow. 



Dr.Stolickza had several of these birds in his collection (Ibis, 

 1867, p. 142). 



N. S. VOL. IV. N 



