S11JJA. LIOPTILA. 105 



d". Bill stout, straight, the upper mandible 

 lunger than the lower one, with the tip 

 !)-nt down. 

 e"'. Depth of bill at -the nostrils less than 



breadth IXULUS, p. 216. 



. /'". Depth of bill at the nostrils more than 



breadth HERPORNIS, p. 219 



Germs SIBIA, Hodgs., 1836. 



The genus Sibia contains but one species, which is remarkable 

 for the extraordinary length of its tail. This is twice the length 

 of the wing, and greatly graduated. 



The bill is shorter than the head, curved down and slender, and 

 the nostrils are covered by a large membrane. The rictal bristles 

 are moderate in length. The bill is very similar to that o^ Lio- 

 ptila, figured below. 



203. Sibia picaoides. The Lony-tailed Sibia. 



Sibia picaoides, Hodys. J. A. S. B. viii, p. 38 (1839) ; Blyth, Cat. 

 p. 98 ; Horsf. $ M. Cat. i, p. 210; Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 55 ; Hume, N. 

 Sf E. p. 208; Wald. Ibis, 1870, p. 354; Godw.-Amt. J. A. IS. B. 

 xlv, pt. ii, p. 78; xlvii, pt. ii, p. 18 ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi, p. 294 ; 

 Hume, Cat. no. 430 ; Scully, S. F. viii, p. 293 ; Oates, B. B. i, 

 p. 43; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. vii, p. 401; Hume, S. F. xi, p. 173; 

 Oates in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. i, p. 132. 

 Malcheo-pho, Lepch. 



Coloration. Whole upper plumage, wings, and tail deep slaty 

 brown, the tail tipped with white, and the wings with a white 

 patch formed by a spot on each outer web of four of the second- 

 aries ; forehead and lores blackish ; throat and breast slaty brown : 

 remainder of lower plumage ashy grey, becoming albescent on the 

 abdomen. 



Bill horny black ; iris scarlet ; feet greyish dusky ; claws horny - 

 black (Scully}. 



Length 13*5 ; tail 8-5 ; wing 4-8 ; tarsus I'l ; bill from gape I'l. 



Distribution. Nepal, Sikhim, and Bhutan ; the Daphla hills ; the 

 Naga hills ; Karennee ; Tenasserim. Tickell states that be pro- 

 cured this species in Tenasserim at an elevation of 3000 feet. It 

 appears to be found up to an elevation of 5000 feet. 



Habits, <$fc. Jerdon states that this Sibia associates in flocks of 

 six or seven, and flies from tree to tree, feeding on both fruit and 

 insects and keeping up a continual whistling sort of call. Gammie 

 found the nest in Sikhim a cup made of herbaceous plants and 

 lined with grass ; and the eggs, five in number, were greyish white 

 speckled with brown and purple ; they measured about '9 by *72. 



Genus LIOPTILA, Blyth, 1847. 



The genus Lioptila, according to my views, embraces those two 

 species which have been hitherto by common agreement placed in 



o2 



