CALL KM:. 113 



the shelter of a rock or on the face of a bank. The eggs are 

 salinon-pink, very faintly freckled with grey all over, and measure 

 about -91 by -65. 



Genus CALLENE, Blyth, 1847. 



The genus Callene differs from Notodela in having a very much 

 longer tail, and one the feathers of which are greatly graduated 

 and without any white pattern. The tarsus is extremely long. 

 Little is recorded of the habits of the sole Indian member of the 

 genus, which, however, are not likely to differ materially from 

 those of Notodela. 



660. Callene frontalis. The Blue- fronted Callene. 



Cinclidium frontale, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xi, p. 181 (1842). 



Callene frontalis (Blyth}, Blyth, Cat. p. 178; Hor.-f. $ M. Cat.i, 



p. 396 ; Jerd. B. I. i, p. 496 ; Hume, N. fy E. p. 220 ; id. Cat. 



no. 340 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. vii, p. 15 ; Oates in Hume's N. 8f E. 



2nd ed. ii, p. 71. 



The Blue-fronted Short-iviny, Jerd. 



Coloration. Male. Lores and a frontal band black; forehead 

 and a short eyebrow cobalt-blue ; with the exception of the abdo- 

 men, which is dark brown, and the under tail-coverts brown 

 fringed with white, the whole plumage is slaty-blue with the edges 

 of the feathers brighter ; wings and tail dark brown, the outer 

 webs suffused with blue; a portion of the under wing-coverts 

 white ; the lesser upper wing-coverts bright cobalt-blue. 



Female. The whole plumage rufescent brown, and the visible 

 portions of the closed wings and tail bright ferruginous ; tail 

 brown ; the feathers of the chin, throat, lores, and sides of the 

 head with paler shafts ; a ferruginous ring round the eye ; a portion 

 of the under wing-coverts white. 



The young are dusky brown, with pale mesial streaks on the 

 feathers of the scapulars and the lower plumage. The young male 

 assumes the adult plumage at the commencement of its first year. 



Bill black ; legs brown. 



Length about 8 ; tail 37 ; wing 3-6 ; tarsus T5 ; bill from 

 gape *8. 



This bird, though structurally very different from Notodela 

 leucura, resembles it closely in coloration. 



Distribution. Sikhim only. There is no evidence that Hodgson 

 met with this bird in Nepal ; on the contrary, his drawing appears 

 to have been taken from a Sikhim specimen. There is nothing 

 known of the habits of this species. 



Genus THAMNOBIA, Swains., 1831. 



The genus Thamnobia contains two species, one or other of 

 which is found over a considerable portion of India. 



VOL. II. I 



