MUSCICAPINiE. 475 



315. Niltava Macgrigorise, Bueton. 



Phsenicura apud Burton, P. Z. S., 1835— Blyth, Cat. 1024— 

 HoRSF., Cat. 444 — N. fuligiventer, Hodgs. — Leiothrix signata, 

 McLelland, and Dimorpha auricularis, Hodgs. (the female) — 

 Phatt-tagrak-'pho, Lepcb. 



The Small Fairy Blue-chat. 



Descr. — Male, above, rich dark violet-purple ; the forehead and 

 neck-spot brilliant ultramarine ; wings black, with a faint edging of 

 blue ; tail dark blue on the outer webs, black internally ; beneath, 

 the neck and breast dark violet-blue ; abdomen fuliginous-ashy, 

 passing into white towards the vent. 



The female is plain olivaceous-brown above, lighter beneath, 

 with the neck patch of light lavender-blue. 



Bill black ; legs reddish-black ; irides dark brown. Length- 

 5 inches ; wings 2^ ; tail 2 ; bill at front not quite 9 mill. ; tarsus 

 nearly f . 



This lovely little bird approaches Muscicapula and SipMa in the 

 form of its bill, which is more Muscicapine than that of the other 

 two species, i. e. wider and more depressed, and with both nareal and 

 rictal bristles more developed, and it resembles Antliipes in the 

 proportions of the quill-feathers, in which the 4t]i, 5th, and 6th 

 primaries are sub-equal and longest. It inhabits the whole extent 

 of the Himalayas, being common at Simla, according to Lord A. Hay, 

 and extending into Assam. About Darjeelingit is not rare, and is 

 chiefly found at an elevation from 3,000 to 5,000 feet. It captures 

 insects usually on the wing, but also seizes them on the 

 ground, from its perch on a low shrub. Its Lepcha name is the 

 same as that given to Antliipes and Siphia ; and, as will be seen from 

 the synonyms given, Hodgson himself named the female Siphia 

 (Dimorpha) auricularis, thus announcing its alKnity for tliat 

 group. 



The next species has the bill still less compressed than the other 

 two, and much stouter vertically ; and Hodgson has placed it as 

 the type of another genus, JJainopus. 



