274 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF NEPAL^ 



sus, 0*65 to 0-7 ; bill from gape, I'O to 1*1 ; bill at front, 0*6 to 

 0*65 ; closed wings short of tail, 2*5 to 2*7. 



Bill, gape and margin of eyelids cobalt blue, the tip of the 

 bill dusky ; irides dark brown ; feet plumbeous blue, with a 

 slight greenish tinge. 



All adult specimens, in chestnut plumage, and of course, 

 short-tailed birds ; in all the inner webs of the quills are 

 dusky, and the tertiaries are not black shafted. 



Two young birds, Valley, July. — Length, 7 '3 and 7*4; ex- 

 pause, 10-2 and 10-4 ; wing, 3-3 and 3-4 ; tail, 37 and 3-8 ; 

 tarsus, 0'6 and 0*65 ; bill from gape, 0-95; bill at front, 0*58 ; 

 closed wings short of tail, 2*1 and 2*3. 



Bill blackish or leaden ; the base of the lower mandible brown- 

 ish grey ; irides dark, or blackish brown ; gape yellowish fleshy ; 

 feet bluish plumbeous ; claws dusky. Chestnut short-tailed 

 birds, differing from the adult female only in having the shafts 

 of the tertiaries black and a merely rudimentary crest. 



The above eighteen specimens are typical paradisi ; I would 

 draw special attention to this point, as Jerdon states that afinis 

 replaces paradisi ^' in the sub-Himalayan regions of Nepal,^' &c. 

 In both additions of the B. M. Catalogue of Mr. Hodgson's col- 

 lections, the specimens of Paradise Flycatcher obtained by that 

 naturalist in Nepal are correctly referred to paradisi. 



The Paradise Flycatcher is very common in the Nepal Valley 

 from the beginning of April to about the end of September ; 

 in the latter month, nearly all the birds to be seen are young 

 ones. 



It frequents the central woods, gardens, and hedges, but does 

 not ascend the hills. In its habits it is very restless, con- 

 tinually flitting about, from tree to tree, or along hedges, and 

 it occasionally descends to the ground to seize its prey. I once 

 shot a long-tailed white bird while it was on the ground, in 

 the Nil Barahi wood. During the breeding season the male 

 bird has a very pleasing melodious whistle, but the note of 

 alarm is a short sharp chirp frequently repeated. In the valley 

 it breeds in May and June, both sexes sharing in the incubation 

 and feeding of the young. Many nests of this species were 

 seen and taken in woods and gardens, but the account given 

 in " Nests and Eggs" is so complete, that 1 need not take up 

 space here by entering into long descriptions; I must note 

 however, that although the usual number of eggs laid is four, 

 I have twice met with five eggs in a nest. As to the interest- 

 ing question of the plumage of the breeding birds I must say 

 a few words. This Flycatcher was so abundant in tli^ valley, 

 breeding close to my house, where it could be observed from 

 day to day, that I can confidently state that the male is a long- 



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