MTZORNIS. 233 



Genus MYZORNIS, Ilodgs., 1843. 



The genus Myzornis contains one species of brilliant green 

 plumage, an inhabitant of the higher portions of the Himalayas. 



In Mt/zornis the bill is slender and nearly as long as the head, 

 distinctly notched, with the culmen gently curved ; the nostrils are 

 longitudinal and covered by a membrane ; the rictal bristles weak. 

 The head is not crested, but the feathers of the crown are some- 

 what lengthened. The wing is round ; the tail is about two thirds 

 the length of the wing and slightly rounded, and the tarsus is 

 long and slender. 



246. Myzornis pyrrhura. The Fire-tailed Myzornis. 



Myzornis pyrrhoura, Hodgs. J. A. S. B. xii, p. 984 (1843) ; Blyth, 

 "Cat. p. 101 ; Hor*f. $ M. Cat i, p. 263 ; Jerd. B. L ii, p. 263; 

 Blanf. J. A. S. B. xli, pt. ii, p. 44. 



Myzornis pyrrhura, Hod ys., Hume, Cat. no. 629; Sharpe,Cat. B. M. 

 \ ii, p. 635 ; Oates in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. i, p. 155. 



The Fire-tailed Flower-pecker, Jerd. ; Lho-sagvit-pho, Lepch. 



Fig. 70. Head of M. pyrrhura. 



Coloration. Male. The whole head and body, the wing-coverts, 

 and the tertiaries bright green ; the feathers of the forehead 

 and crown with deep black centres ; the lores and a triangular 

 patch behind the eye black ; a streak above and one below the eye 

 brighter green ; the throat and upper breast suffused with red ; 

 the middle of the lower part of the breast and abdomen tinged with 

 red; vent and under tail-coverts chestnut-red; winglet tipped 

 white ; primary-coverts black, edged with green and tipped with 

 yellow ; primaries brown, the first eight tipped with white, the 

 outer webs of all ten primaries deep black, more or less margined 

 with red ; secondaries with the outer webs red and tipped with 

 pinkish white ; tertiaries black, with some green on the inner webs ; 

 tail-feathers red on the outer webs, green on the inner, all broadly 

 tipped with dusky. 



Female. Eesembles the male closely, but differs in having the red 

 on the lower parts dull and subdued, and the red on the wings and 

 tail less bright, the primary-coverts green, tipped with white, and 

 the terminal spots on the secondaries pure white. 



Bill dusky brown ; legs fleshy ; iris brown (Jerdon) ; the iris is 

 figured red by Hodgson. 



Length 5-2 ; tail 1-9 ; wing 2-4 ; tarsus -9 ; bill from gape '7. 



Distribution. Nepal and Sikhim, probably not below 6000 feet. 



Habits, $c. Haunts brushwood and moss-grown trees. The egg 

 is said to be white, but this statement is not well authenticated. 



