NILTAVA. 233 



ochraceous buff ; under wing and under tail coverts the same ; rest of 

 under surface ashy, tinged with ochraceous ; the centre of abdomen whitish. 

 Hab. Formosa and the Tenasserim Province of British Burmah. 



Swinhoe's Rufous-bellied Chat was obtained by Davison on the Mooleyit 

 Mountain in Tenasserim. It extends to China. According to Davison this 

 species moves about on the tops of trees by short flights. He always saw 

 them singly. 



272. Niltava grandis, (Btyh ). Jerd. B. ind. i. p. 476, No. 3 i6; ; 



Hume, Nests and ggs, p. 2 15 ; Bl. B. Burnt, p. 102 ; Hume, Sir. F. v. p. 

 103; Hume and Dav. vi. p. 232; Sharpc, Cat. B. Br. Mus. iv. p. 464 ; 

 Hume, Sir. F. viii. p. 93 ; Oates, B. Burm. i. p. 297. Chailaris grandis, 

 Blyth, J, A. S. B, xi. p. 189. The LARGE FAIRY BLUE-CHAT. 



Above dark purplish blue ; the forehead, crown, nape, rump, upper tail 

 coverts, lesser and median wing coverts and a large spot on each side of the 

 neck brilliant smalt-blue ; lores, feathers above the eye, sides of face and 

 entire throat and fore neck black ; greater coverts and quills black, narrowly 

 margined externally with blue. Central tail feathers purplish blue ; rest brown, 

 margined externally with blue ; under surface of body dusky black, tinged with 

 purplish, the under tail coverts edged with white ; bill black ; legs reddish 

 black ; iris dark brown. 



Length. 7-5 to 8 inches; wing 4*2 ; tail 3-6 ; tarsus 0*9 ; culmen o 7. 



The female is brown above, tinged with fulvous ; the tail is chestnut brown ; 

 forehead, sides of the head, chin and throat bright fulvous brown, mottled with 

 dusky ; under surface ochraceous brown, tinged with ashy on the abdomen. 



Hab. The Himalayas, extending into the Burmese countries and to 

 Sikkim and Nepaul. 



The Large Fairy Blue-Chat is found in the hill tracts of Eastern Bengal. 

 Jerdon says it is common about Darjeeling, and Mr. Davison says it is not 

 uncommon on the Mooleyit Mountain and its spurs. In Assam, too, it is fairly 

 common. It is quite a forest bird, seen only on trees, dry brushwood, and 

 even fallen trees. It occasionally catches insects on the wing. According to 

 Hodgson it lays during April and May. Nest massive, composed of green 

 moss and lichen, and lined with fine moss roots. Eggs, four in number, of a 

 buffy color. In size they average ro x 0*73. 



273. Niltava leucoprocta, (Tweed.} Wardlaw-Ramsay, Tweed. 

 Jlfcm. App. p. 668; Oates, B. Br. Bunn. i. p. 298. Trichastoma leucoproctum, 

 Tweed. P. Z. S. 1877, p. 366 ; Hume, Sir. F. vii. p. 318. Niltava Icuctira, 

 Ann. Nat. Hist. Ser. 4, xx. p. 95. Muscilrca cyan (/a, Hume, Sir. F. v. 

 p. 101 ; Hume, Sir. F. vi. p. 207; id. Sir. F. vii. p. 318, viii. p. 91. The 

 WHITE-TAILED BLUE-CHAT. 



