ARTAMIN.E. 441 



Australia, by their longer tail, lengthened bill, and chesnut under- 

 plumage, making an approach towards some of the oceanic Campe- 

 phagincB, and perhaps to Monarcha among the Flycatchers. The 

 little A. minor of Australia is remarkably Swallow-like, and it is 

 possibly through these birds that the present tribe partly grade with 

 the Fissirostres, 



Gen. ArtamuS, Vieill. 



Syn. — Ocypterus, Cuv. 



Char. — Those of the sub-family. — It has lately been sub-divided 

 into two genera, Artamus and Ocypterus, the former being retained 

 for the thick-billed species, the latter for those with more lengthen- 

 ed, curved, and slender beaks. The Indian species belong to true 

 Artamus. 



287. Artamus fuscus, Tieill. 



Ocypterus rufiventer, YaIu'EI^C. Mem. Mus. VI., pi. 7 — 0. leuoo- 

 %nc/ios apud Jerdon, Cat. 54 — Blyth, Cat. 1207 — Horsf., Cat. 

 208 — Tari ababil, Hind, in the South, z'.e. Palmyra Swallow — Tal- 

 chatak, Beng., and Tati-pitta, Tel., also having the same meaning 

 — Murasing oi Mussulmans in Bengal — Silliangcki ^jho, Lepch. 



The Ashy Swallow-shrike. 



Descr. — Lores black ; the general hue cinereous, or ashy-grey, 

 purest on the head, and with a tinge of rufous on the back and 

 scapulars ; breast, abdomen, under wing-coverts, and under tail- 

 coverts, ashy-white, with a tinge of rufous on the belly ; quills and 

 tail blackish ashy-grey, the latter tipped narrowly with pale ashy ; 

 upper tail-coverts white beneath, shewing a white border next 

 the dark tail. Bill pale bluish, darker at the tip; legs slaty; 

 irides dark brown. 



Length about 7 inches ; wing 5^ ; tall 2/^ ; extent 15 ; bill at 

 front f ; tarsus f . 



This Swallow-shrike is spread throughout the whole of India and 

 Ceylon, being A'^ery numerous In some localities, but locally distri- 

 buted ; for you may pass over large tracts of country, ajiprirently 

 well suited for them, and not see one. It extends into Ag«am. 



3 K 



