HODCSCXNIUS. 189 



i, p. 494 ; Godw.-Aust. J. A. S. B. xxxix, pt. ii, p. 102 ; Blunf. 

 J. A. S. B. xli, pt. ii, p. 160; Hume fy Dav. S. F. vi, p. 236; 

 Jftune, Cat. no. 33(3 ; Oate*, 11. B. i, p. 19 ; Sharpe. Cat. B. M. vii, 

 p. 29; Hume, S. F. ad, p. 121. 



Drymochares uepalensis (Hodgs.), Oates in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. 

 i, p. 130. 



The White-bellied Short-wing, Jerd. 



Coloration. Male. The lores and a frontal band dark blackish 

 blue ; a partially concealed white eyebrow ; the whole upper 

 plumage, sides of the head and neck, cheeks and the visible portions 

 of the closed wings and tail dark slaty blue ; chin, throat, and the 

 central portion of the abdomen white, somewhat mottled with brown 

 specks ; remainder of lower plumage smoky brown. 



Female. The whole upper plumage and sides of the head and 

 neck ferruginous olive-brown, the space round the eye ruddier 

 than the other parts ; a partially-concealed white eyebrow similar 

 to that of the male ; chin, throat, and central portion of the abdo- 

 men whitish ; remainder of the lower plumage fulvous. 



The young resemble the female ; the young males assume the 

 adult plumage in the first spring. 



Bill dark brown ; gape whitish ; legs and feet dark purplish 

 fleshy ; iris dark brown (Davison). 



Length nearly 5; tail 1/4; wing 2'3; tarsus 1/1; bill from 

 gape -7. 



Hume and Davison have already noticed the strange fact that 

 all the males the latter procured in Tenasserim are similar to the 

 female in plumage. I find that the same is the case with all the 

 sexed males from Shillong and Manipur. In Sikhim, on the other 

 hand, blue males appear to be common enough. 



Distribution. Sikhim ; the Khasi hills ; Manipur ; Muleyit 

 mountain in Tenasserim. It is very doubtful whether Hodgson's 

 specimens in the British Museum came from Nepal. 



This species has been found on the mountains of Perak in the 

 Malay peninsula. 



Habits, $c. The nest of this species appears to be always globular 

 or domed, constructed of dry flags and dry skeleton leaves, and 

 placed in brushwood or on a fallen tree a short distance off the 

 ground. The eggs are pale stone-colour, marked with pale reddish 

 brown, and measure about -8 by -6. 



Genus HQDGSONIUS, Bonap., 1850. 



The genus Hodysonius is represented by a single species, which 

 bears considerable resemblance in shape and colour to Brachypteryx, 

 but differs in having the sexes differently coloured and the tail 

 considerably longer. 



The bill of Hoclysomus resembles that of Drymochares, and the 

 rictal bristles are weak. The wing is rounded, and the tarsus is 

 lengthened and much graduated. 



