CAMPEPHAGIN^E. 421 



branch or leaf, or occasionally catching one in the air. The 

 males keep up a continuing whistling call, which, as Colonel Sykes 

 represents, is wlieet-wheet-wheet. 



273. Pericrocotus brevirostris, Vigors. 



Muscipeta apud ViGOES. — Blyth, Cat. 1160 — Horsf., Cat. 

 183— Gould, Cent. H. B., pi. 8— Jerdon, Cat. 64— Ph. affinis, 

 McLell. (the female) — P. miniatus apud Swainson. 



The Short-billed Minivet. 



Descr. — Male — Head, neck, nape, upper back, wings, and middle 

 tail-feathers, shining blue-black ; body beneath, lower back, rump, 

 upper tail-coverts, wing-spot, and tips of some of the coverts, and 

 the lateral tail-feathers, fine deep crimson, the latter black at 

 their bases. The female has grey head and back ; forehead 

 tinged with yellow ; beneath, spots on wings, rump, and lateral 

 tail-feathers, yellow ; wings and tail dusky ; the pair next the middle 

 feathers slightly edged with yellow. 



Bill and legs black ; irides dark brown. 



Length 7^ to 8 inches ; extent 1 1 ; wing 3|- ; tail nearly 4 ; bill 

 at front barely f; tarsus not quite |. 



The Short-billed Minivet is found throughout the Himalayas 

 up to 8,000 feet of elevation during the summer, migrating in 

 the cold weather to the plains of India, and visiting Lower Bengal 

 and Central India, not however extending its migrations far south. 

 I have killed it in Goorasoor, N. Lat. 20, and also near Saugor. It 

 extends into Assam and Arakan. It is very common at Dar- 

 jeeling from April to October, frequenting lofty trees in small 

 parties, constantly on the move, and engaged in picking various 

 insects and keeping up a continued twitter. At times you see a lot 

 of females only, together. Coleoptera appear to be their chief food. 

 A nest and eggs were brought to me at Darjeeling, said to be of this 

 bird, but I am not quite certain about this. The nest was tolerably 

 neatly made, with roots, fibres, and moss, and contained three eggs 

 of a dead white colour, with a few small brick-red spots. Buch. 

 Hamilton says that it always languishes and dies in confinement. 



