MYIAGRIN^E. 161 



p. 466 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 396 ; Rhipidura 



albofrontata, Frankl. ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 



129 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 66. 

 THE WHITE-BROWED FANTAIL. 



Length, 7'5 ; expanse, 10 ; wing, 33 ; tail, 375 ; tarsus, 07 ; bill 

 at front, 0'3. , 



Bill black ; irides deep-brown ; legs black. 



Above the head and neck deep-black ; a. broad frontal band, 

 extending over the eyes to the nape, pure white ; back ashy-black ; 

 wings and tail dusky-black, the wing-coverts with some white 

 spots ; the tips of all the tail-feathers, except the central ones, 

 broadly white ; beneath, the chin and throat black, more or less 

 spotted and lined with white ; the breast and abdomen white. 



The White-browed Fantail Fly-catcher is common throughout 

 the region, excepting, perhaps, the hilly and more wooded tracts, 

 where it is replaced by the next species. It is a permanent 

 resident and breeds from February to August, but March and 

 July are the months in which most nests are to be found. They 

 have at least two broods in the year, and if undisturbed use 

 the same nest for the second brood. The nest is generally 

 placed on the upper surface of a horizontal bough, and is difficult 

 to find, as it appears to be a mere excrescence on the branch, 

 with which it assimilates in color. In shape it is a rather deep 

 cup, about If inches in diameter, and rather more than an inch 

 in depth ; it is rarely more than one-quarter of an inch thick. 



It is generally composed of fine grass or vegetable fibres, coated 

 on the outside with cobwebs. 



After their eggs are laid, these little birds become very fussy 

 and courageous, darting out and attacking any bird that 

 approaches the nest, no matter how large. The eggs, three in 

 number, are broad ovals in shape, and vary from white to dingy 

 creamy-white or pale yellowish-brown in color, with a belt of 

 greyish-brown and faint inky-purple specks and spots round the 

 larger end. They average 0'66 in length by about 0*5 in breadth. 



Leucocerca leucogaster, Cav. 



293. Leucocerca pectoralis, Jerd. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. 



I, p. 453 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 293 ; 



Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 396. 



THE WHITE-SPOTTED FANTAIL. 



Length, 7 ; wing, 3 ; tail, 4 ; tarsus, 0'38 ; bill at front, 0'3. 



Bill black ; irides dark-brown ; legs black. 



Above, the whole head black, with a narrow white supercilium ; 

 the rest of the upper plumage brownish-dusky ; wings dusky ; the 

 coverts very slightly tipped with albescent ; tail dusky, all but the 

 middle feathers passing gradually into dirty-whitish towards 

 their extremity ; beneath, the throat and belly white ; the under 

 tail-coverts edged with rufous ; the sides of the throat, and the 



11 



