58 RHYACORNIS 



88. BLUE-FRONTED REDSTART. 

 RUTICILLA FRONTALIS. 



RuticiUafrontaUs (Vigors), F.Z.S., 1831, p. 172 ; (Gould), Cent. B. Himal. 

 M. pi. xxvi. fig. 1 (1832); Prjev. Mongol, i Strana Tangut, ii. 

 pi. xx. fig. 9 (egg) ; Seebohm. Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 349 ; Gates, F. 

 Brit. Incl. Birds, ii. p. 91. 



Tak-tirriri-pho. Lepch. 



ad. (Sikliim). Crown, nape, and upper parts generally dark blue, the 

 forehead and supercilium bright blue ; throat and upper breast dark blue ; 

 tail chestnut-red, the central feathers and terminal portion of all the rest 

 black ; upper and under tail-coverts and under parts chestnut ; under wing- 

 coverts and axillaries chestnut with blue bases. Culmen 0'57, wing 3'55, 

 tail 3'05, tarsus 0*92 inch. The female has the tail and upper tail-coverts 

 as in the male, but rather duller, the upper parts generally dark fulvous 

 brown, the throat and breast fulvous brown, and the rest of the under parts 

 orange brown. In the winter the male has the blue feathers margined 

 with brown. 



Hob. The Himalayas from Gilgit and Kashmir to Assam ; 

 the Khasi Hills ; North Cachar ; Manipur ; Tibet ; Kan-su 

 and Western China. 



In summer it is found at an altitude of 14,000 or even 

 higher, but in winter descends as low as 5,000 feet. But little 

 is known of its habits, but it has been found breeding in 

 Kan-su. The nest which was constructed of moss, bass, and the 

 feathers of Crossoptilum auritum was placed on the ground 

 under a rotten stump, and contained 4 eggs of a dirty white 

 colour, covered with indistinct reddish-brown spots chiefly at 

 the larger end which measured 0"'T3 by 0"*58. 



RHYACORNIS, Blanf. 1872. 



89. PLUMBEOUS REDSTART. 



RHYACORNIS FULIGINOSUS. 



Rhyacornis fuliginosus (Vigors), P.Z.S., 1831, p. 35; (Hume and Hen- 

 derson), Lah. to Yark., p. 212 pi. xv. ; (Sharpe) Cat. B. Br. Mus. iv. 

 p. 253 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 98. 



Swradvm parlo-pho, Lepch ; Chullia-nakki, Bhut. 



