236 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



capture insects on the wing, bnt pick ants, and small Coleoptera, off 

 the bark and leaves of trees. He further insists on their strong 

 skins, and firmly-set plumage, as additional proofs against their being 

 a fissirostral group ; but this argument would equally apply to the 

 Kollers, Bee-eaters, and other acknowledged fissirostral types. 



On the other hand, we have undoubted resemblances to many 

 birds of this tribe. The bill of some is most remarkably like that 

 of Batrachostomus ; and of others, like that of Eurystomus ; and their 

 feet are not so strong as in the Rollers, and more syndactyle. Their 

 habits are not fully known, but, as far as they are, they agree with 

 those of many of the tribe ; and a review of their whole characters, 

 the gay plumage of some, the Podargus-like bill of others, and the 

 nidification, as observed by myself, warrant, in my opinion, their 

 arrangement here ; a view, indeed, adopted by most of our modern 

 ornithologists. They very probably, however, form a link or tran- 

 sition to the Dentirostral group, through the Ampelidce. We have 

 only two representatives of this family in our province, both 

 confined to the Himalayas. 



Gen. PsARisoMus, Swainson. 



Syn. Raya, Hodgs. 



Bill moderate, broad, deep, triangular as seen from above, 

 strongly curved on the culmen, with a strong blunt ridge, and 

 considerably hooked and notched at the tip ; under mandible 

 shallow ; nostrils small, basal, apert ; wings rather short or moder- 

 ate, slightly rounded ; tail long, graduated. 



138. Psarisomus Dalhousiae, Jameson. 



Eurylaimus, apud Jameson, Ed. Ph. J. XVIII. — Royle, 

 111. Bot Him. PI. 7. f. 2— Blyth, Cat. 1181— Horsf., 

 Cat. 143 — Crossodera, apud Gould, Icon. PL 7 — E. psittacinus, 

 MiJLLER, Temm. pi. Col. 297 — Raya sericeo-gula, Hodgson, 

 J. A. S. VIII., 36 — Ra-i, in Nepal. — ManM pho, Lepch. 

 The Yellow-throated Broadbill. 



Descr.— Above, the head and hind neck black, with a blue spot on 

 the middle of the crown, and a small yellow patch behind 



