CALLIOPE 67 



Hob. Tibet, Kan-su, Sikhim and Assam, extending to the 

 Khasi Hills where it is common at Shillong, and has been 

 obtained at Mymensing and Bhamo. 



Inhabits the sub-alpine bush region and in Kansu is rarer 

 than 0. camtschatkensis. It has been found breeding there, 

 the nest being placed on the ground under a Spiraea bush, and 

 was round, with a hole in the side, and constructed of dried 

 grasses. The eggs, 4 in number, were bluish green with very 

 faint rust-red spots, and measured 20*5 by 15 '5 millimetres 

 (0-81 by 0-61 inch). 



101. HIMALAYAN RUBY-THROAT. 

 CALLIOPE PECTORALIS. 



Calliope ptctoralis, Gould, Icon. Av. part i. pi. iv. (1837) ; id., B. of Asia ; 

 iv. pi. 39 ; (Seebohm), Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 306 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. 

 Birds, ii. p. 103 ; C. bailloni, Severtz. Turk. Jevot, pp. 65, 122 

 (1873). 



ad. (Himalayas). Upper parts dark slate tinged with olive ; th6 

 crown blacker, forehead and supercilium white ; middle of chin and 

 throat bright crimson ; sides of chin and throat, and entire breast black, 

 rest of under parts white ; central tail-feathers black, the rest white on 

 the basal half, then black tipped with white ; bill blackish brown ; legs 

 brown ; iris livid. Culmen 0'6, wing 3*0, tail 2'4, tarsus 1*2 inch. The 

 female has the upper parts earthy brown, the forehead and supercilium 

 dull white ; chin and middle of throat white ; abdomen pale fulvous, and 

 the dark portions of the tail brown not black. The nestling has the 

 upper parts fulvous brown streaked with fulvous ; underparts marked 

 with dark brown, the tail feathers tipped with fulvous, but the male has 

 the base of the tail white. In the autumn the adult male has the 

 feathers margined with ashy. 



Hob. Turkestan and the higher portions of the Himalayas 

 from Gilgit to Sikhim and Bhutan, wintering at lower altitudes 

 and on the plains at the foot of the hills. 



It breeds in Kashmir and Sikhim at an altitude of 10,000 

 feet and upwards, but there is no recorded instance of its nest 

 having been taken and properly identified. A nest said to 

 belong to it was taken in Sikhim, but the eggs were pale 

 salmon buff, which makes it doubtful that they belonged to 

 this species. 



F 2 



