193 BIRDS. 



vary in size from the black and white Yimrjipicus ruhricatus, 5^ 

 inches in length, to the yellow-naped Chriisophlcgma of 14 inches. 

 They are most numerous in the low, hot valleys, but several of the 

 species are found at considerable elevations. There is but one 

 permanent resident belonging to the parrot family, Falceornts schis- 

 ticeps, and it is very abundant on the lower slopes from October till 

 March, when it ascends to high elevations to breed. It is green, with 

 a slaty-coloured head, and about 16 inches long. Occasionally, but 

 rarely, stragglers of one or two of the plains' species are to be seen. 

 About a dozen species of cuckoos visit Sikhim. Among them is the 

 European cuckoo, whose call may be heard all day long, in the season, 

 from about 3,500 feet upwards, but is commonest above 5,000 feet. 

 By far the prettiest of them all is Chrij&ococcyx Ilodgsoni, the emerald 

 cuckoo. Above, it is of a brilliant emerald-green with a golden sheen, 

 and below white, barred with shining green. It is a small bird, not 

 being much more than half a foot in length. The fork-tailed cuckoo, 

 Surniculus dkruroidcs, closely resembles the common king-crow, but 

 its call, a whistling note five or six times repeated, betrays it. 



The long-tailed honey-suckers or sun-birds are not excelled in 

 beauty by any other of the Sikhim species. There are five of them, 

 all belonging to the genus ^thopyga. The males of all of them 

 are richly coloured on the head and long tail feathers, with lustrous 

 metalUc hues of different shades which change and flash in the sua 

 with every movement. Tlie prevailing colours of j^. icjmcanda are 

 scarlet and violet ; of JE. nipalemls steel-green, maroon, and yellow, 

 with flame-colour on the breast ; and of ^. saturata violet and black. 

 Their curved bills are long and slender, and their bodies are elegantly 

 shaped. They are found from the lowest valleys up to about 7,000 

 feet. There are several nuthatches, of which Sitta formosa is by far 

 the handsomest. It is found about 6,000 feet, and like its cogeners, 

 climbs about on trees in search of food after the manner of wood- 

 peckers. The European hoopoo passes through Sikhim on its way to 

 the plains in the autumn, and again in the spring on its return journey. 

 There are three minivets, all of them remarkable for the gay plumage of 

 both sexes, and for the extreme way the sexes of the same species differ 

 from each other in colour. The male of the largest one, Pericrocotus 

 speciosus, is a vermilion-red with black head, wings, and back, whilst 

 its female is of the same pattern, but the colours are yellow and ashy- 

 grey. It is abundant up to about 4,000 feet, and feeds in consider- 

 able parties. A flock of them seen flying in the bright sunshine is 

 one of the sights of Sikhim not readily forgotten. There are two 

 racket-tailed drongos, both of which have two of their tail feathers 

 lengthened in a peculiar manner. From the end of the ordinary tail 

 the outer feathers have a naked shaft of nearly a foot in length ending 



