324 TURDIN/E. 



y. A. S. B. xi. p. 190 (1842). Ruticilla frontalis (Vigors), Jerd. B. Ind. 

 ii. p. 141, No. 503 ; Godw.- Austen, J. A. S. B. xxxix. pt. 2, p, 270; Hume 

 *nd Henders., Lah. to Yaik. p. 211. The BLUE-FRONTED REDSTART. 



A dull male in full autumn plumage. Forehead and supercilium cobalt 

 blue ; rest of the head, neck and mantle blue black, most of them as if 

 dusted over with chesnut ; primaries and secondaries brown, their outer webs 

 margined paler ; innermost secondaries dark brown, margined on their outer 

 webs with chestnut ; lesser wing coverts dark blue, with narrow pale edges ; 

 median and greater coverts black, edged with chestnut ; lower back, rump 

 and upper tail coverts rich chestnut; tail rich chestnut, except the two 

 centre feathers which are black, margined on the outer web with chestnut, the 

 terminal half of the outer web of the outermost feather and the tips of the 

 other feathers, which are also black, for about half an inch. Sides of the 

 neck, ear coverts, cheeks, chin, throat and foreneck blue black, dusted over 

 with brownish ; rest of under surface rich chestnut, paler in the centre of the 

 belly; axillaries chestnut ; thighs sooty brown; bill, legs and claws black. 



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

 tarsus i. 



The female is rich sooty brown, the forehead with a shade of chestnut, 

 which deepens on the rump and upper tail coverts. Two centre tail feathers 

 dark brown, with chestnut margins on the basal half of the outside edges ; 

 rest of tail feathers rich chestnut, three-fourths of the outside edges of the 

 outermost feather and the tip of the rest brown for about half an inch ; under 

 surface pale sooty brown ; chin and centre of belly shading into pale chestnut ; 

 axillaries and under wing coverts pale chestnut ; under tail coverts rich 

 chestnut. 



Hal. The Punjaub, N.-W. Provinces, and Nepaul to Assam. Recorded 

 from Darjeeling, Cashmere, Thibet, Kumaon, Bootan, and near Dhurrumsala, 

 also Sikkim. Jerdon says it is more common in the N.-W. Himalayas, and 

 Seebohm that it breeds in the pine forests of the mountain chains from the 

 Western, Southern, and Eastern boundaries of Thibet, Cashmere, Nepaul^ 

 Sikkim, Assam, and Moupin, and that it descends into the valleys during 

 winter. 



403. Ruticilla schisticeps, (Hodgs.) Moore, p. z. S. 1854, p. 29 



pi. Ixi. ; Jerd., B. Ind. ii. p. 140; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 351. 

 Phcenicura schisticeps, Hodgs. MS. Drawings, B. M. B. Nepaul. Ruticilla 

 nigrogularis, Moore, P.Z. S. 1854, p. 29, pi. Ixi ; Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 140; 

 Hume, Sir. F. iv. p. 497. The SLATY-HEADED REDSTART. 



Adult male in full autumn plumage. A narrow black line at the base 

 of the bill ; forehead and crown cobalt blue, the bases of the feathers on the 

 occiput, nape, and hindneck black ; mantle and lower back black ; rump 



