THE RESIDENT BIRDS OF S AUG OR AND DAMOK DISTRICTS. 93 



fantail; with its very distinctive and pretty call, which ends so abruptly 

 and always sounds as if the bird had been interrupted about two notes 

 before the end, is very common indeed ; but I have very rarely seen any of 

 these Fly-catchers, and never the white-browed Fantail, in the vicinity of 

 Saugor itself. The white spotted Fantail Fly-catcher {Rhipidura pectoralis) 

 ought to be found here, but I have never come across it. I like the legend, 

 due of course to the difference in the colovir of the plumage of mature and 

 immature birds, which Sterndale gives in " Seonee " of the Paradise 

 Fly-catcher, or as he calls it the Rocket-bird. It was originally one of the 

 most beautiful birds in Paradise, all white with twelve long plumes and a 

 lovely voice, but meeting a real bird of Paradise it went and complained to 

 Allah that its own beauty was not sufficiently perfect. Whereon Allah 

 became angry and gave sentence that, as they had shewn an evil spirit and 

 had blackened their faces before him, they should become dingy brown 

 birds with black heads but that after a period of this humiliation they 

 should be allowed to resume their white garb with, however, only two of 

 their tail plumes while their faces should always remain black. 



608. (35). Pratincola capkaxa. Common Pied Bush-chat. 

 Pidda 



629. (36). Cercombla fusca. Brown Rock-chat. 

 Shdona. 



661. (37). Thamnobia cambaibnsis. Brown-backed Indian Robin. 

 Ldlffandi. 



663. (38). CopsYCHUs saularis. Magpie-Robin. 

 Dhayal. 



720. (39). Ploceus baya. Baya. 



The lumps of clay, which I have never failed to find inside the weaver- 

 bird's nest, can only be, I think, to weigh the nest and prevent it swingino- 

 about too much. 



734. (40). UROLOiSfCHAMALABARiCA. Wliite-throated Munia. 



Churakka. 



735. (41). Uroloncha puncxulata. Spotted Munia. 



Sianbdz. 



737. (42). Stictospiza Formosa. Green Munia. 



Hareldl. 



738. (43.) Spor^ginthus amandava, Indian Red Munia. 



Edl Munia. 



Another series of birds, which, with the exception of the white-throated 

 which breeds all the year round, two females sometimes using and brinoino- 

 up their broods in the same usually untidy and conspicuous nest, have 

 hitherto eluded my search for their nests. I think they only breed here in 

 the rains. 



776. (44). Gymnorhis flavicollis. Yellow-throated sparrow. 



