UBOCISSA. 41 



(19) * Urocissa melanocephala melanocephala. 



THE CHINESE RED-BILLED MAGPIE. 

 Coracias melanocepJialus Lath.,Ind. Orn., i, p. 170 (1790) (China). 



Vernacular names. None recorded. 



Description. Head, neck and breast black ; a large patch on 

 the nape, continued down the back lavender- or pale blue-grey, 

 and feathers of the fore crown tipped with the same colour ; 

 lower plumage greyish white with a bluish sheen ; under tail- 

 coverts the same, but bluer and with a black band at the tips of 

 the feathers with a greyish-white subterminal band ; tail azure- 

 blue, broadly tipped with white and all but the central pair of 

 feathers with a broad subterminal band of black ; wings dull blue- 

 brown, the primaries edged with brighter blue and brown on the 

 inner webs ; the inner secondaries blue on both webs. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris brown or red-brown ; bill and feet 

 coral-red to crimson, claws horny. 



Measurements. Total length about 550 mm. ; wing 180 to 

 200 mm.; tail 375 to 425 mm. ; tarsus about 45 mm. ; culmen 

 about 32 to 33 mm. 



Distribution. China and Yunnan. A' bird from the South 

 Shan States, perhaps from the extreme East, seems referable to 

 this subspecies. 



Nidiflcation. In Chihli, La Touche took its nests and eggs in 

 Mav. He describes them as having a clayey-brown'ground-colour, 

 very heavily marked. Two clutches sent to me are green eggs, 

 very small, about 29x24 mm., and just like Koels' eggs. There 

 may possibly be some mistake about them. The breeding season 

 seems to be May. 



Habits. These appear to be similar to those of our Indian 

 birds. 



(20) Urocissa melanocephala occipitalis. 

 THE RED- BILLED BLUE MAGPIE. 



Psilorhinus occipitalis Blyth, J.A.S.B., xv, p. 27 (1846) (N.W. 



Himalayas). 

 Urocissa occipitalis. Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 26. 



Vernacular names. NilJJiant (at Mussoorie); Diyg-Dal (Simla). 



Description. Similar to U. m. melanocephcda, but can be 

 distinguished at a glance by its ivliite nape-patch. The back is 

 more purple, with a blue sheen rather than lavender-brown. 



Colours of soft parts and Measurements much the same as 

 in the preceding bird. 



* Corvus eri/throrhynchm Gmel., Syst. Nat., i, p. 372 (1788) is preoccupied 

 by Boddaert, Tabl. PL Enlum., p. 38, 1783. 



