274 FIRST LIST OF THE BIRDS OF 



16th April 1878, Female. — Length, 6*96; expanse, 15-0 ; 

 wing-, 5*16; tail from vent, 2*42 ; tarsus, 0*60; bill from gape, 

 092 ; bill at front, 0*66 ; closed wings exceed tail, 0*29 ; 

 weight, 1*37 oz. Irides dark brown; legs livid, the skin covered 

 with white flakes as if chapped ; mouth, inside black. 



16th April, Male. — Length, 7*08; expanse, 150; wing, 

 5-25 ; tail from vent, 2*33; tarsus, 0"62 ; bill from gape, 0-92 j 

 bill at front, 0*70 ; closed wings exceed end of tail, 0*50 ; 

 weight, 1'37 oz. Bill blue; legs livid blue; mouth, inside black. 



Common, and a permanent resident; very partial to perching 

 on the tips of Bamboos, and I have seen as many as 13 sitting 

 eide by side on a bamboo tip. I took seven nests this season, all 

 from Date trees {Phoenix sylvestris), which trees are very com- 

 mon in the district. The nest is generally built at the junction 

 of the leaf-stem and the trunk of the tree, though in two 

 instances the nest was placed on a ledge from which all leaves 

 had been removed to enable the tree to be tapped for its juice. 

 In every instance the nest was exposed, and if any bird, even 

 a hawk, came near, these courageous little fellows, would drive 

 it off. My nests were found from the 5th April to (oth June ; 

 shallow saucers made of line twigs and grasses with a lining of 

 the same, and contained two to four eggs in each. Height of 

 nest from ground about 12 to 15 feet. On the 17th April I 

 took two fresh eggs from a nest, and the birds laying again, I, 

 on the 8th May, took three more fresh eggs from the same 

 nest. When on the wing they utter their note, generally 

 returning to the same perch. 



288.— Muscipeta paradisi, Lin. 



10th April 1878, Female.— Length, 8'25; expanse, 10-25; 

 wing, 3*42 ; tail from vent, 3*75 ; tarsus, 0*62 ; bill from 

 gape, 1*01 ; bill at front, 0*56 ; closed wings fall short of 

 end of tail, 2*33 ; weight, 0*62 oz. Irides dark brown ; bill 

 smalt blue ; tip, above horny ; legs smalt blue ; soles white ; 

 claws horny ; inside of mouth light yellow ; eyelids smalt blue. 



lbth April, Chestnut-plumaged Male. — Length, 18*12 ; ex- 

 panse, 10*75 ; wing, 3*78 ; tail from vent, 13*50 ; tarsus, 0'62 ; 

 bill from gape, 1*16 ; bill at front, 0"75 ; closed wings fall short 

 of end of tail, 11*92; weight, 0*62 oz. ; elongated tail feathers 

 (central) exceed rest of tail by 9*0. Bill cobalt blue; legs 

 dirty lavender blue. 



I5tk April, White-plumaged Male. — Length, 21*75 ; ex- 

 panse, 11*25 ; wing, 3*75; tail from vent, 17*0; tarsus, 0*64; 

 bill from gape, 1*16; bill at front, 0*66; closed wings fall 

 short of end of tail, 15*75; central tail feathers exceed others 

 by 12*25 ; weight, 0*75 oz. Bill and eyelids cobalt blue ; legs 



