474 birds of india. 



The Rufous bellied Fairy Blue-chat. 



Dcscr. — Male, above, the forehead, lores, ear-coverts, hind-neck, 

 and upper back, deep black ; top of the head, nape, neck-spot, shoul- 

 der of wing, lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts, glistening 

 smalt-blue ; wings black, the quills edged with dull blue ; tail dark 

 blue on the outer webs, black internally ; beneath, the chin and 

 throat are deep black, with a blue smear; the rest of the lower 

 parts deep bright ferruginous, paling somewhat on the lower 

 abdomen and under tail-coverts. 



Bill black ; legs brown ; irides dark brown. Length (j\ 

 inches; extent 10; wing 3^; tail 2| ; bill at front 11 mill.; 

 tarsus |. 



The female is light olivaceous-brown above ; the wings dusky, 

 edged with ferruginous, and the tail dull ferruginous ; beneath 

 pale ashy-brown, with a lavender-blue spot on each side of the 

 neck. 



This very beauti/ul bird is, as far as we know, confined to 

 the Himalayas. It is very common about Darjeeling, from 

 5,000 feet to 8,000 feet. It frequents thick bushy ground, 

 often near water, is shy and wary, seldom showing itself, but now 

 and then I have seen it seated on a fallen tree, or stump, or even 

 a paling by the way-side. It feeds chiefly on insects which it 

 procures on the ground, generally returning to the same perch 

 whence it came, but it also picks insects off the leaves and 

 branches. It is seldom seen high up on trees. Hodgson says that 

 it sometimes eats berries and seeds in winter. I several times pro- 

 cured the nest of this bird, situated on a bank, or in the cleft of 

 a rock, or against the fallen stump of a tree. It is loosely 

 made of moss, lined with a few black fibres ; and the 

 eggs, three or four in number, are reddish-white, with the 

 large end nearly covered with minute brick-red spots, forming 

 a large patch of dull brick-red. The eggs are remarkably 

 long-shaped. 



The song is said to be one loud and simple note, frequently 

 repeated. I have not heard it, that I am aware of, and always 

 considered it a very silent bird. 



