MTSCICAPULA. 1<)7 



lining of white; the greater upper wing coverts white, forming a bar across the 

 wing ; tail black, the basal two-thirds, except of the central tail feathers, white. 



The female has the upper surface and lesser wing coverts olive brown, tinged 

 with rufous ; upper tail coverts ferruginous ; greater wing coverts and quills 

 brown, margined with pale rufous brown ; lores and sides of the head fulves- 

 cen-t brown; under surface of body white, tinged with brown on the flanks and 

 breast ; tail dark brown, narrowly margined with rufous brown ; no white 

 bases to ihe feathers of ihe tail. 



Bill black ; legs brown; irides light brown. 



Length. 4*4 inches ; wing 2-4; tail 175 ; tarsus O-6 ; bill from gape 0-55. 



ffab.N.-W. Provinces, Central India, Bengal, and British Burmah. 



Taking Jerdon's notes on Erythrosterna pusilla, which is now identified 

 \vith the female of this species, and the notes against E. maculala, the Little- 

 pied Fly-Catcher occurs in the plains of Central India during the cold weather 

 and retires to the Himalayas during the summer He says he obtained it 

 near Darjeeling in summer dress, and quotes Blyth as to its occurrence in 

 the Midnapoor District. It extends through Arrakan and Tenasserim into 

 Western Malasia, It also occurs at Pegu in the cold weather. Jerdon saw 

 this species in pairs, but generally in small parties, active and restless, 

 capturing insects entirely on the wing. It has a pleasing little song. 



222. Muscicapnla sapphira, Tickdl, MSS. -, Blyth, J. A. S. B. 



xii. p. 939 ; Jerdon, Illus. Ind* Orn. pi. 32 ; id. B. Ind. i. p. 471, No. 312 ; 

 Sir. F. iii. p. 237 ; Ball, Sir. F. ii. p. 405 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mtts. iv. 

 p. 209. The SAPPHIRE-HEADED FLY-CATCHER. 



Male. Above rich dark purplish blue, inclining to smalt blue on the 

 rump and upper tail coverts ; forehead and crown pale azure or sapphire blue 

 {vivid smalt blue, Blyth), deepening on the hind head ; lores black ; foreneck 

 and breast rich purple, with a broad median line of deep and bright ferrugi- 

 nous ; flanks greyish ; belly and forepart of the wings underneath, also the 

 axillaries, white ; quills and tail black, and the feathers edged externally with 

 blue ; there is no white at base of the feathers of the latter. 



Bill and feet black; irides dark brown. 



The female has the head, neck and interscapulars plain olive brown ; fore- 

 head, lores and cheeks ferruginous; wings, rump and tail deep blue; throat, 

 foreneck and breast bright ferruginous, much broader than in the male ; 

 belly and lower tail coverts bluish white. 



Length. 475 inches ; wing 2'5 ; tail I '9 ; tarsus cr6 ; culmen 0*35. 



Hab. N.-W. Provinces, Oudh, Bengal, also Sikkim and Nepaul. Jerdon 

 says it is somewhat rare at Darjeeling, mid thai the sjxx -k> ;iil<v^ npon forest, 

 perches high up, and catches insects on the wing. 

 27 



