THE BIRDS OF NORTH CACHAR. 123 



perched somewhere about on one of the railings or, less often, on 

 some shrub or small tree, taking short flights after insects or flying 

 down to the ground after a grasshopper or similar insect, constantly 

 spreading their tails and flirting them up and down. Their note is that 

 common to the genus, and sounding like a very low single " churr." 

 (233) S. albicilla. — The Eastern Red-breasted Fly-catcher. 

 Oates, No. 562; Hume, No. 323. 

 A very common winter visitant, many staying as late as April, and 

 some few birds possibly breed on the higher peaks, for one of my 

 servants once caught a female in the beginning of May, whose ovaries 

 contained eggs the size of a small pea. 



(234) Cyornis hodgsoni. — The Rusty-breasted Blue Fly-catcher. 

 Oates, No. 565 ; Hume, No. 322. 

 I have only met with this fly-catcher in the cold weather, and then 

 but rarely. 



(235) 0. hyperythrus. — The Rufous-breasted Blue Fly-catcher. 



Oates, No. 566 ; Hume, No. 321. 

 A rare bird, but resident. I have shot one in May and another early 

 in August, and a third was brought to me with three unfledged young 

 on the 20th July. 



(236) C. LEUCOMElanurus.— The Slaty-blue Fly-catcher. 

 Oates, No. 567 ; Hume, No. 320. 

 Not uncommon, more especially to the east. I saw it several times 

 in the lofty peaks about Hungrum and Lere ; but failed to get its nest. 

 •(237) C. superciliaris. — The White-browed Blue Fly-catcher. 



Oates, No. 568 ; Hume, No. 310. 

 Not rare in the same parts as the last bird. I took a nest on the 

 road between Hungrum and Lere, which may have belonged to this 

 species. I found the nest in a hole in a way-side stump and shot a 

 male C. superciliaris which was fluttering about the tree in a great 

 state of excitement. The nest was a mass of moss, with a neat little 

 cup in the centre, and I think there is no doubt that it did belong to a 

 fly-catcher of some sort, but the egg is different in character to any 

 other that I know of this family. The ground-colour is a greenish- 

 greyish-yellow or yellow stone-colour, often enough to be seen in fly- 

 catchers' eggs, but the stipplings are of grey and greyish-brown such 

 as I have never met with. 



