142 THE PERCHING BIRDS. 



The smallest member of this group is a little green bird, with white 

 breast and reddish flanks, commonly called the white-eye (Zosterops 

 erythropleura). It gets its name from the eye? being encircled with 

 white. It is very common and may frequently be seen in the garden 

 during the summer. 



Next to these birds come the fly catchers, represented by several 

 species in North China. Being denizens of the more densely wooded 

 and brush covered areas, they are not often seen. 



Most remarkable of these is the paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone 

 incii). In this beautiful bird the adult male has the central tail feathers 

 enormously lengthened during! the breeding season. The younger 

 males and the females are of a chestnut, red colour all over, except 

 the head and neck, which are of a fine metallic blue, almost black. 

 The most peculiar thing is that the old males are of the same chestnut- 

 red colour except during; the breeding season, when they are white. 

 Thus during the breeding season thiere are three plumages, namely, 

 the chestnut and blue-black females, with short tails, the chestnut 

 and blue-back young males with very long tails, and the pure white 

 aoad blue-black old males with very long tails. This is not a common 

 bird, but it has been recorded from the vicinity of Peking and also at 

 Chin-wang-tao. 



Another most beautiful bird is the tricolor flycatcher (Xanthopygia 

 tricolor). This bird has a black head, upper back, wings and tail, white 

 eyebrows, secondaries and upper wing coverts white, and bright yel- 

 low under parts, lower back and rump. The female is plain olive green 

 above, dirty white below with yellowish rump. 



The blue and white flycatcher (Cyanoptila bella) is also a strik- 

 ingly beautiful bird, with its bright, smalt-blue upper parts, black throat 

 and breast and white belly. The female is brown. The robin fly- 

 catcher (Poliomyias luteola) has black or iron-grey upper parts, orange- 

 red throat with a white patch on the wing, another behind the eye and 

 the base of the tail white. The female is olive brown above, white below. 



The broad billed flycatcher (Alsonax latiro stria) is a small grey- 

 brown bird, with white under parts, marked with grey on the breast ; 

 while the Siberian flycatcher (Hemichelidon sibirica) is much darker 

 with heavily marked breast. Lastly the white-tailed robin-flycatcher 

 (Siphia albicilla) is characterized by a red throat in the male, the 

 rest of the bird being grey. 



This list of flycatchers shows that some of the most beautiful 

 of our birds belong to the family. 



