SIPHIA. 



223 



generally in parties of five or six, capturing insects in the air. It makes its 

 nest in a slight hole in a bank. The eggs are three in number, lon-ish ovals 

 in colour varying from creamy white to warm cafe an lait with brown red 

 or very obscure markings; size 0*8 1 x 0*59. 



255. Stoparola melanops, Vigors., P. z. s. 1831, p . 171 . Gould. 



Cent. Him. B. pi. 6; Blyth, J.A.S. B. xvi. p. 174 ; Uume, Nes/s and Egs 

 Ind. B. p. 208 ; Adams, Str. F. 1874, p. 338 - Ball t. c. p. 405 ; Butler, Sir. 

 F. 1877, p. 230; Hume and Dav., op. cit. 1878, p. 227; Sharpe, Cat, B. Br. 

 Mus. iv. p. 438 ; Oates, B. B. Burnt, i. p. 285. Eumyias melanops ( Vig.), 



Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 463, No. 301 ; Armstrong, Str. F. iv. p. 323 ; Anderson 

 Yunnan Exped. p. 622. Glaucomyias melanops, Scully, Str. F. viii. p. 277. 

 The VERDITER FLY-CATCHER. 



Lores, feathers in front of the eye and at the base of the upper mandible 

 black, rest of the plumage verditer-blue, brightest on the forehead, chin, throat, 

 breast and upper tail coverts ; under tail coverts broadly tipped with white ; 

 tail blue, the shafts black and the inner webs edged with brown ; primaries and 

 secondaries blue on the outer and black on the inner webs ; tertiaries and 

 upper wing coverts blue ; bill and legs black; irides deep brown. 



Length. 6 inches ; wing 3-2 to 3-4 ; tail 275 to 2-8 ; tarsus 0-65 ; culmen 

 0-45- 



The female is like the male, but has the blue of the head and body much 

 duller, and the chin and throat are mottled with whitish. 



Hal. Indian Peninsula, Burmese countries, and Sikkim, ranging into South- 

 em China. (Sharpe.) It visits the plains of India and Burmah during winter, 

 and is generally spread throughout the better-wooded parts of the country. It 

 also occurs in Arrakan. Oates found it in Pegu, Blanford got it at Bassein ; 

 Captain Ward law- Ramsay on the Karin Hills, Mr. Davison in Tenasserim, 

 and Captain Bingham in the Thoungyeen Valley. It breeds in the Himalayas, 

 making a neat cup-shapped nest, composed of moss, lined with fibres and hair, 

 which is generally placed under a wooden bridge, or under the eaves of roofs. 

 The eggs, four in number, are oval, in colour dull white, and with rufous spots. 



Gen. Siphia. Hodgs. 



Bill moderately wide ; length of culmen equal to twice the breadth of the 

 base at gape, slightly hooked at tip and notched ; nostrils covered by bristles and 

 frontal plumes ; wings pointed and long, but not reaching to the tip of the 

 tail ; 4th quill longest ; hind claw moderate and curved, not as long as the hind 

 toe ; toes scutate at base of claws ; tarsus as long as hind toe and claw. 



256. Siphia pallidipes, Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. iv. p. 444; 

 Muscicapa pallipes, Jerd., Madras Journ. xi. p. 15. Cyornis pallipes (Blyth), 

 Jerd. B. Ind. I. p. 469, No. 309; Fair bank, Str. F. 1876, p. 357; Hume, 

 t. c. p. 397. The WHITE-BELLIED BLUE FLY-CATCHER. 



