66 TIMELHD/E, 



p. 459 5 Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 254, Copsychtrs ceylorrensis, Sclater, P. Z. S. 

 1861, p. 186, Copsychus musicus, Wald. Ibis, 1872, p. 203; Tweed. Ibis, 

 l8 77 P- 302 ; Hume and Dav., Sir. F. i878, i. p. 33 ; Hume, Sir* F. 1879, 

 p. 99. Copsychus andamanensis, Hume, Sir. F. 1873, p.- 231. Kittacincla 

 melanoleuca, Less. Rep. Zool. i8>4O, p. 354. The INDIAN MAGPIE. ROBIN or 

 the INDIAN DHAYAL BIRD, 



Head, neck all round, back, wings, chin, throat, breast, central tail feathers, 

 upper abdomen, and edge of the wing black ; lower abdomen, vent and under 

 tail coverts, also the shoulder of the wing, some of the outer webs of the 

 secondaries arid also the outer tail feathers white ; u'nder wing coverts white. 



The female is dark grey where the male is black, with a slight gloss on- the 

 upper surface ; under surface white ; wings as in the male \ central tail feathers 

 dark brown; outer feathers white; throat grey; under wing coverts and 

 axillaries white. Bill and legs black ; irides brown.- 



Length. 8 to 85 inches; wing 3-8 to 4-2; tail 3'6 ; tarstis f'0$ ; 

 culmen o f 8. 



Hab. All over India and Ceylon, eastward to Assafn and as far soutfi as 

 Pegu. It is recorded from Central and South India, also from NepauJ, 

 Darjeeling, Kumaon, Pegu and the Andamans, and as a race (rtutsicus) 

 Malacca, Penang, Siam and Java. 



The geographical distribution of the Dhayal bird, Sharpe says, is of great 

 interest ; so gradual is the transition of one supposed species to the other, 

 and so uncertain are the characters for their specific separation, that he has 

 deemed it best to recognize but a single actual species, and in this I agree, 

 especially when hybrids have 1 to be given consideration to. Jerdon says it is 

 generally seen alone or in pairs, usually seeks its prey from a Ittw perch or 

 hops a few steps to pick up insects, which are its chief food. 



It breeds, according to Hume, but sparingly throughout the plains of Upper 

 India. The majority resort to the Dhoons and Terais that skirt the Hima- 

 layas. They lay from the end of March to the end of July, building their nests 

 in holes in trees, banks or walls, or under the eaves of huts. The nest is 

 composed of coarse grass or flower-stalks intermixed with fine roots and dry 

 tendrils of climbing plants. Eggs, 5 6 in number, of a pale bluish green, thickly 

 spotted and blotched with purplish brown, and showing an imperfect ring of 

 nearly confluent blotches at the larger end. 



Gen. Lioptila- Blyth. 



Bill somewhat lengthened, slender, slightly curved and bent at the tip, where 

 it is rather broader than high; wings rather short and rounded, the 4th and 

 5th quills longest; tail moderately long, the outer ones graduating. 



