DICRURIN/E. 153 



orange stripe formed by a central band on all the primaries 

 (except the first three), and the secondaries orange on the outer, 

 yellow on the inner web ; tail, with the four outer feathers on 

 each side, widely tipped with orange ; breast, upper part of abdo- 

 men, flanks, and rump, rich scarlet or aurora-red, fading to 

 yellow on the lower abdomen and under tail-coverts, and whitish 

 on the vent. 



The female differs in having the eyestreak, sides of forehead, 

 chin, throat, and lower parts whitish, tinged with yellow on the 

 breast, abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts ; the wings and 

 tail are dingier black, and the wing-spot is yellow ; the under 

 tail-coverts of the wing are yellow in both sexes ; tail as in the 

 male, but the colors are not quite so bright. 



The Small Minivet is a common permanent resident throughout 

 the region. 



It breeds during the months of June, July and August. 

 The nest is placed high up, in a fork in a tree, generally a mango ; 

 it is a well made, compact, deepish cup-shaped nest, composed 

 of fine twigs, grass roots, lichens, dead leaves and pieces of bark, 

 which assimilate in color with the bark of the tree, and make it 

 an exceedingly hard nest to find. The eggs are of a rather broad 

 oval shape, pale greenish- white in color, more or less spotted 

 and blotched with brownish-red. They measure 0'67 inches in 

 length by 0'53 in breadth. 



Pericrocotus erythropygius, Jerd. 



277. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 424 ; Butler, Guzerat ; 



Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 465 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. 



IX, p. 394 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, 



p. 66. 



THE WHITE-BELLIED MINIVET. 



Length, 6'5 ; wing, 27 ; tail, 3*5 ; tarsus, 0'5 ; bill at front, 0'3. 



Bill black ; irides brownish-yellow ; legs black. 



Male. Plumage above (except rump), cheeks, and chin, of a 

 glossy blue-black ; beneath longitudinal stripe on wings, outer 

 edges and tips of the lateral tail-feathers, white ; breast and rump 

 of a fine orange or aurora-red, darkest on the rump. 



The female has the parts that are black in the male smoky ^ 

 ash color (except the tail, which is deep black) ; the forehead 

 whitish; rump and beneath white, tinged with ashy on the 

 breast. 



With the exception of Sind, the White-bellied Minivet is 

 spread throughout the region, but is everywhere rare. 



SUB-FAMILY, Dicrurinse. 



Bill rather large, wide at the base, thick, more or less curved 

 and keeled at the culmen, and notched at the tip; numerous 

 moderately strong rictal bristles ; nostrils basal, rounded, concealed 

 by short plumes ; wings lengthened ; fourth and fifth quills usually 



