138 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



light rufous on the abdomen, and under tail-coverts ; rump and 

 tail, as in the male. 



Bill black; legs brown black; irides brown. Length 6 inches; 

 extent 10^; wing 3^; tail 2/^; bill at front r ^; tarsus nearly 1. 



The Indian Redstart is very regular in its appearance in the 

 plains of India, from the end of September to the first week or so 

 of October, according to the locality. It is generally spread 

 throughout the country, to the extreme south of the peninsula, but 

 has not been observed in Ceylon ; frequenting groves of trees, 

 orchards, gardens, and the vicinity of old buildings, walls, and houses, 

 and it is often seen perched on the roof of a house. It feeds on the 

 ground, on various insects. It has a most peculiar quivering 

 motion of its tail, especially when seating itself on its perch after 

 feeding ; hence some of the native names. I never heard of its 

 breeding in this country, and I cannot help thinking that Col. 

 Sykes must have been mistaken when he mentions that " a pair 

 built their nest in an out-house constantly frequented by my ser- 

 vants, and within reach of the hand." It was more probably a 

 Thamnobidi 



498. Ruticilla Eodgsonii, Moore. 



P. Z. S., 1854, pi. 58— Horsf., Cat. 471— Phaen. Reevesii, 

 apudBLYTii, J. A. S., XII., 9(33 — It. ery throgastra, apud Blyth, 

 Cat. 983 (in part) — Thar-capni, Nep. 



Hodgson's Redstart. 



Descr. — A narrow band on the forehead, lores, ear-coverts, throat, 

 and breast, black ; the fore-part of the crown clear white, much 

 narrower than in R. phcenicura ; hind part of crown, neck, back, 

 and upper wing-coverts, fine ash, lightest on the crown ; wings 

 dusky brown ; the outer half of the basal half of the secondaries 

 white, forming a wing patch ; from the breast to vent, under wing- 

 coverts, rump, upper and lower tail-coverts, and tail (except the 

 inner and outer margins of the two middle feathers, which are 

 dusky brown), bright rufous red. 



The female has the usual colors of this genus, like the female 

 of the List ; but may be distinguished by a general puffy appear- 



