46 MUSCICAPID^:. 



tail, wing-coverts, tertiaries, and the outer webs of the other quills 

 chestnut. 



This plumage is retained till the second autumn by the male, 

 and permanently by the female, which undergoes no further change 

 of any kind. The young male for some time previous to the second 

 autumn becomes gradually blacker on the chin and throat, and 

 sometimes becomes quite black on those parts, as well as on the 

 sides of the head, as in the adult, but the breast remains ashy and 

 is never pure white contrasting with the black throat. 



After the autumn moult of the second year the male has the 

 whole head and crest glossy black, the lower parts as before the 

 moult, and the whole upper plumage rich chestnut ; the median 

 tail-feathers grow to a great length, and are retained till May or 

 June, when they are cast. 



After the autumn moult of the third year the chestnut plumage 

 is again assumed, and also the long median tail-feathers, but the 

 whole lower plumage from the throat downwards is pure white, 

 the breast being sharply demarcated from the black throat. After 

 this moult a gradual transition to the white upper plumage takes 

 place, the wings and tail being the first parts to be affected, but 

 the change to a complete white plumage is not affected till the 

 moult of the fourth autumn. 



After this moult the male bird is fully adult, and permanently 

 retains the white plumage. The whole head, neck, and crest are, 

 glossy bluish black ; the whole body-plumage white, the feathers of 

 the back, rump, scapulars, and wing-coverts with black shafts ; tail 

 white, with black shafts and narrow outer margins, except on the 

 middle feathers, where the shaft is black only on the basal third 

 of its length and at the tip : wings black, with broad white margins 

 on both webs, the later secondaries and tertiaries being almost 

 entirely white. 



Bill, gape, and margin of eyelids cobalt-blue, the tip of the bill 

 darker ; iris dark brown ; feet plumbeous blue ; claws dusky 

 (Scully). 



Length from about 9 to 21 ; tail 4'5 to 16'5; wing 3'7 ; tarsus 

 65 ; bill from gape 1*1. 



Distribution. The whole of India proper as far east as Nepal in 

 the Himalayas and the Brahmaputra river in the plains. To the 

 west this species extends into Afghanistan, and to the north into 

 Turkestan. In Kashmir and other parts of the Himalayas it is 

 found in summer up to 9000 feet or so. This Flycatcher occurs in 

 Ceylon. It appears to be everywhere a permanent resident, except 

 in the Himalayas, where it moves to lower levels in winter. 



Habits, $*c. Breeds from May to July, constructing a small cup- 

 shaped nest of grass, fibres, or moss in the branch of a tree. The 

 eggs, four or five in number, are pink marked with brownish red, 

 and measure about *81 by *6. 



