482 LANIID^E. 



493. Pericrocotus flammifer. Davison's Scarlet Minivet. 



Pericrocotus flamrnifer, Hume, S. F. iii, p. 321 note (1875) ; v, 

 p. 195 ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi, pp. 211, 508 ; Hume, Cat. no. 273 

 quat. -, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. iv, p. 74 ; Gates, B. B. i, p. 237. 



Coloration. Kesernbles P. speciosus. The male differs from the 

 male of that species in having the first three primaries entirely 

 black and the outer webs of the middle pair of tail-feathers red ; 

 also in being much smaller. Prom the male of P. andamanensis it 

 differs only in the colour of the tail and its smaller size. 



The female differs from the female of P. speciosus in having the 

 first four primaries plain brown, and the forehead and lower 

 plumage orange-yellow. Erom the female of P. andamanensis 

 merely in size. 



Length rather more than 7 ; tail 3'1 ; wing 3*4 ; tarsus *65 ; 

 bill from gape % 85. 



Distribution. Tenasserim from Nwalabo mountain southwards, 

 extending into the Malay peninsula. 



494. Pericrocotus nammeus. The Orange Minivet. 



Muscicapa flammea, Forster, Ind. Zool. p. 25 (1781). 



Pericrocotus flammeus (Font), Bhjth, Cat. p. 192 ; Horsf. $ M. 



Cat. i, p. 142 ; Jerd. B. 1. i, p. 420 ; Hume, N. $ K p. 182 ; 



Sharpe, S. F. iv, p. 208 ; Hume, S. F. iv, p. 394, v, p. 197 ; 



id. Cat. no. 272 ; Legge, Birds Ceyl p. 363 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. 



iv, p. 75 ; Damson, S. F. x, p. 366 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 151 ; 



Oates in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. i, p. 336. 



Phari balal-chasm, Hind. ; Suli sanyam ( $ ), Arsan buradi ( $ ) of the 

 Halapyks (Jerd.) ; Gene-kurula, Ceyl. 



Coloration. Eesembles P. speciosus. The male differs from the 

 male of that species in having the red parts of the plumage some- 

 what paler and flame-coloured ; also in having the first four 

 primaries unmarked with red except in rare instances, when a mere 

 line of red may be seen on the fourth primary. The female differs 

 from the female of P. speciosus in having the first four primaries 

 unmarked with yellow. 



Bill, legs, and feet black ; iris dark brown (Hume Coll.). 



Length nearly 8 : tail 3'7 ; wing 3-6 ; tarsus -6 ; bill from 

 gape -8. 



Distribution. The Western Ghats of India from Khandala to Cape 

 Comorin. This species is found both at the base of the Ghats and 

 at considerable elevations, Davison recording it even from Oota- 

 camund, where, however, it appears to be rare. It extends into 

 Ceylon. Godwin-Austen, probably by an oversight, records this 

 bird from the Khasi hills (J. A. S. B. xxxix, pt. ii, p. 99). 



Habits, fyc. Breeds on the Nilgiris from June to September, 

 constructing a cup-shaped nest in a branch at a considerable height 

 from the ground. The nest is composed of the finest little twigs 

 and coated over externally with lichens. The eggs are pale sea- 



