RUTICILLIN/E. 207 



is usually built in holes in rocks, buildings, walls, wells, and banks. 

 Should the site selected not be suitable, they make an embank- 

 ment of small stones, pellets of dry mud, &c., extending several 

 inches beyond the nest. 



The eggs, generally three or four in number, are moderately 

 broad oval in shape, of a pale blue-color, more or less spotted 

 with reddish-brown ; these spots occasionally form a nimbus 

 round the large end. They measure 0'82 in length by 0'62 in 

 breadth. 



During the time of incubation, and while rearing their young, 

 they are extremely pugnacious, attacking any small bird, squirrel, 

 or lizard that ventures near. 



SUB-FAMILY, Ruticillinse. 



Bill, slender with tip entire ; rictal bristles fairly developed ; 

 wings and tail various ; tarsi long, slender. 



GENUS, Ruticilla, Brehm. 



Bill rather short, straight, slender, slightly notched ; rictus 

 nearly smooth ; wings moderately long, pointed ; first primary 

 about one-third the length of the fourth, fifth and sixth equal and 

 longest ; tail moderate, even or slightly rounded ; lateral toes 

 nearly equal, hind-toe not much lengthened; claws slender, 

 moderately curved. 



Ruticilla rufiventris, Vieill. 



497. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 137 ; Butler, Guzerat ; 



Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 478 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. 



IX, p. 405 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 146 ; 



Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885. 

 THE INDIAN KEDSTART. 



Length, 6 ; expanse, 10 ; wing, 3'5 ; tail, 2' 5 5 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill 

 from gape, 0'6 ; bill at front, 0'4. 



Bill black ; irides brown ; legs black. 



Crown dark ashy-grey ; lores, ear-coverts, neck, throat, breast, 

 back and upper wing-coverts, black with greyish edges to the 

 feathers ; wings dusky-brown ; the primaries margined with pale 

 rufous, the secondaries with dull grey, forming an inconspicuous 

 patch ; under wing-coverts, flanks, belly, rump, upper and lower 

 tail-coverts and tail (except half the inner and a little of the 

 outer webs of the two middle tail feathers near the tip, which 

 are brown), bright cinnamon-rufous. 



The female is brown above, with the edges of the wings, the 

 abdomen, and under tail-coverts, pale rufous ; below, dusky on 

 the throat and breast, changing to clear light rufous on the abdo- 

 men and under tail-coverts ; rump and tail as in the male. 



Mr. Hume, Stray Feathers, Vol. V, p. 36, describes six toler- 

 ably distinct stages of plumage, viz : 



I. Winter plumage. Black of upper surface entirely veiled 



