liil.Aiioririn.A. 243 



Genus HILAROCICHLA, n. gen. 



I propose to separate the following species from the members 

 of the genus Ptcrutliius on account of its much longer tail, which 

 is quite equal in length to the wing, and the greater graduation of 

 the tail-feathers, the outer falling short of the middle feathers 

 by a third of the total length of the tail. In all other respects 

 Hilarocichla agrees with Pteruthius. 



256. Hilarocichla rufiventris. The Rufous-bellied Shrike-Tit. 



Pteruthius rufiventer, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xi, p. 183 (1842), xii, 

 p. 954; id. Cat. p. 98; Horsf. # M. Cat. i, p. 173; Jerd. B. 1. ii, 

 p. 245 ; Godtv.-Aust. J. A. S. B. xlv, pt. ii, p. 190 ; Hwne, Cat. 

 no. 610 ; id, S. F. xi, p. 244. 



Ptererythrius rufi venter, L, Gadow, Cat. B. M. viii, p. 115. 



Coloration. Male. The forehead, crown, nape, hind neck, 

 and sides of the head black ; upper plumage chestnut ; tail black 

 tipped with chestnut ; wings black, the secondaries tipped chest- 

 nut, a few of the primaries margined with grey below the emargi- 

 nations ; chin, throat, and upper breast ashy, divided from the 

 black of the head by a white line ; a patch of golden yellow on 

 each side of the breast ; remainder of lower plumage soft vinous 

 brown, paler on the abdomen and under tail-coverts ; under wing- 

 coverts pale vinous ; edge of wing white. 



Female. Forehead grey tipped with black; crown and nape 

 black ; sides of head grey, with a black patch at the end of the 

 ear-coverts ; back, scapulars, and upper part of rump bright 

 green, irregularly barred with black; lower rump and upper tail- 

 coverts chestnut; central tail-feathers green with black shafts, 

 black subterminal bar, and white tips ; the others black, with a 

 portion of the outer webs green and all tipped with chestnut ; 

 smaller wing-coverts black, broadly tipped green; greater wing- 

 coverts black on the inner and green on the outer webs ; winglet 

 and primary-coverts black ; quills black, the earlier primaries edged 

 with hoary grey, all the other quills with green, the tertiaries 

 having the entire outer webs green ; chin, throat, and breast grey ; 

 lower plumage dark vinous brown, with a yellowish patch on each 

 side the breast. 



The young resemble the female, and the male acquires the adult 

 plumage in the November of the first year. 



In the dry state the bill is black, bluish on the lower mandible ; 

 legs fleshy brown. 



Length about 8; tail 3'3 ; wing 3'4; tarsus T2; bill from 

 gape -9. 



Distribution. Nepal ; Sikhim ; the Naga hills. This is probably a 

 bird of high elevations, but nothing whatever is on record about its 

 habits. 



B2 



