on some beautiful Insectivorous Birds from the Himalayas. 279


IV. Blue-headed Robin (. Phcenicura cceruleocephala').

“ Grey-headed ” would be a more appropriate description, for

grey it is, and not at all blue, as one understands blue.


A fine French grey ! there is no getting over that! so that

“ Cceruleocephala ” is a misnomer. Well ! this grey occupies the

whole of the top of the head, except that the black of the throat

and breast extends narrowly up and round above the nostrils.

The back and tail are also black. The wings, dark brown, with

a broad patch of white on the scapulars and part of the secon¬

daries ; the abdomen whitish, the bill and feet, black.


All this means that one sees a little bird, the shape, size,

and style of our Robin, looking at first sight, rather like a Pied

Flycatcher with a grey cap on.


His wife is brown with a tail inclining to chestnut, and

she somewhat resembles a Spotted Flycatcher, when not exam¬

ined too closely.


Gould says that the Grey-headed Robin has a tendency

to unite itself to the genus Saxicola.


It’s call-note is very Robin-like. I have a pair, and they

are confiding birds, and very pretty. The male bird met with an

unfortunate accident on his way to me. His left thigh was

badly broken, and when he was taken out of his travelling cage,

his poor leg hung loose and helpless behind him. I bound it

up to his breast with a very fine tape, putting it twice round his

body under the wings, and although he managed to loosen it, so

that things looked worse than before, I persevered, with the

happy result that the fracture mended completely, and in three

weeks the leg was as sound as the other one. Before it mended,

the poor little bird hopped about gallantly on one foot, and was


an extremely good patient.


■x- *


V. Himalayan Ruby-throated Warbler (Calliope

pectoralis') [Gould].


Past, but not least by any means in point of beauty.


He is the only one that is out in an aviary, and seems to

be doing well, constantly singing his melodious song, which

somewhat resembles that of the Blue-throated Warbler, to whom

of course he is closely allied.



