232 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF INDIA. 



grove swamps, gardens, open fields, along* the forest paths, &c, 

 but it decidedly prefers the vicinity of man. On Ross Island, the 

 head-quarters, and consequently the most populous part of the 

 Settlement, it is, with the exception of Acriclotheres tristis and 

 Corvus Levaillantii, the most common bird, and the male may 

 often be seen seated on the top of a house, or stump, in the 

 morning- and evening, singing in a most lusty manner. They breed 

 at the Audamans in April and May. I did not observe it at 

 the Nicobars." 



476. Ms.— Kittacincla albiventris, Blyth. (26.) 



This species, though in many respects closely resembling 

 macroura, differs essentially in two particulars. In the first place 

 the tail is differently formed, the central tail feathers in the pre- 

 sent species rarely, if ever, project more than 0*3 beyond the next 

 pair, while in macroura they project ] "3. Of course in both 

 cases I speak of adult males; in the second place the female of 

 macroura differs essentially from the male in plumage, whereas 

 the adult females of this species, according to our dissection, are 

 identical in plumage with the males. I know that Mr. Blyth 

 says : — " The female is of a duller color than the male, specially on 

 the wings and breast, which latter is glossless black;" but he 

 must, I think, have got hold of a young bird to which these 

 remarks fully apply. The only difference which we could detect 

 in the females was that they were rather smaller. The following 

 are the dimensions recorded in the flesh : — 



Males. — Length, 8*8 to 9*55 ; expanse, 10"75 to 11'82 ; wing, 

 3*5 to 3'75 ; tail, from vent, 4 to 5 ; tarsus, 0'9 to 1*05 ; bill, 

 at front, 0"55 to 0-63 ; bill, from gape, 0*9 to 1 ; weight, 1 to 1*3 

 ozs. 



Females. — Length, 8 - 25 to 8*6; expanse, 10*75 to 11*4; wing, 

 3-4 to 3-65 ; tail, 4"1 to 4-35 ; tarsus, 0'9 to 1*03 ; bill, at front, 

 0-52 to 0-62. 



The above dimensions refer to adults, young birds are 

 very much smaller. 



The legs and feet are very pale fleshy ; bill black. The entire 

 head, neck, breast, back, wings, four central tail feathers, and the 

 bases of the four other pairs, black ; the head, neck, breast, back, 

 scapulars, lesser and median coverts, with a beautiful purple gloss. 

 In fine specimens a slight gloss on the tail feathers and tertiaries 

 also. The rump, upper tail coverts, abdomen, sides of breast, 

 wing lining, and axillaries, tibial plumes, and the terminal three- 

 fourths or more, of the four external pairs of tail feathers, pure 

 white ; lower tail coverts and flanks a rather pale ferruginous. 



