SITTA. 307 



lower back, with whitish blue on the upper back and sides of neck; 

 sides oE the head and chin fulvous-white, the feathers round the 

 eye and over the ear-coverts more or less black at their bases ; 

 wings black ; lesser wing-coverts, edges of the winglet, primary- 

 coverts, primaries, and secondaries bright blue ; the edges of the 

 median and greater coverts and tertiaries white ; scapulars, back, 

 and rump verdigris-blue; lower plumage dull chestnut; middle 

 tail-feathers blue, with the portion near the shaft black ; the next 

 two pairs black, edged with blue ; the others black, with white 

 tips progressively larger, the margin of the tips of the exterior 

 webs pale blue. 



Bill blackish ; legs greenish horny, with yellow soles ; iris dark 

 brown (Jcrdo.i). 



Length about 7'5 ; tail 2-3 ; wing 4 ; tarsus -85 ; bill from 

 gape 1. 



Distribution. Sikhim, probably not descending to a lower level 

 than Darjiling, where Tickell, as recorded by Jerdon, procured a 

 specimen. Mandelli's men procured a large series in Sikhim, and 

 I note that they were killed both in summer and winter. This bird 

 has been obtained at Asalii in the Khiisi hills, and also at Toruputu 

 Peak in the Daphla hills at 5000 feet, in both cases by Godwin- 

 Austen. 



325. Sitta frontalis. The Velvet -fronted Blue Nuthatch. 



Sitta frontalis, Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii, p. 162 (1821) ; Gadow, 

 Cat. B. M. viii, p. 353 : Oates. B. B. i, p. 134 ; id. in Hume's 

 N. $ E. 2nd ed. i, p. 196. 



Sitta corallina, Hodys. J. A. S. B. v, p. 779 (1836). 



Ddiidrophila frontalis (Horsf. ), Blyth, Cat. p. 190 ; H. # M . Cat. ii, 

 p. 722 ; Jerd. B. I. i, p. 383 ; Hume, N. $ E. p. 18 L ; id. S. F. vii, 

 p. 459 ; Lsgye, Birds Ceyl. p. 550 ; Hume, Cat. no. 253 ; Barnes, 

 Birds Bom. p. 140. 



Dendrophila coralliaa (Hodgs.}, Hume, S. F. iii, p. 89 ; Sharpe, t. c. 

 p. 436 ; Anders. Yunnan Exped., Aves, p. 633. 



Coloration. The male has a broad band on the forehead and a 

 long supercilium black: the whole upper plumage and wing- 

 coverts blue ; wing blackish brown, edged on the outer webs with 

 blue, except the first two primaries, the tertiaries almost entirely 

 blue ; middle tail-feathers blue, the others blackish, edged and 

 tipped with blue; ear-coverts lilac; chin and throat whitish; 

 lower plumage greyish lilac. 



The female resembles the male, but has no black supercilium. 



Iris yellow ; eyelids plumbeous ; bill coral-red ; mouth red ; 

 feet pinkish brown; claws pale horn; the young have the bill 

 black, pinkish at the gape and nostrils ; iris dark brown. 



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



Distribution. Throughout the greater portion of India and 



x2 



