ruticillin.e. 151 



The White-tailed Ruby Throat. 



Descr. — General color dark brownish ashy, with a white super- 

 ciliura ; lores black, and a small moustachial spot white ; the breast 

 and sides of the throat black, and the chin and the middle of the 

 throat and upper part of the neck bright glistening crimson ; the 

 belly, vent, and under tail-coverts, white, ashy on the flanks and 

 mixed with dusky on the under tail-coverts ; tail white on the 

 basal half, except the centre pair, and white tipped ; also some 

 white on- the outer-web of the outermost feathers. In winter the 

 black of the breast is broadly edged with grey, and the red of the 

 throat is less intense ; the back too is not so dark. The female is 

 plain olive-brown, paler on the breast, and whitish on the throat 

 and belly ; supercilia pale rufescent, there is much less white 

 at the base of the tail, and the terminal spots are light rufescent. 



Bill dusky ; legs pale reddish brown ; irides dark brown. Length 

 6 inches ; wing barely 3 ; tail 2| ; bill at front nearly \ ; tarsus \\. 



The tail is more graduated than in the last species, and the wings 

 are more rounded. It is found throughout the Himalayas, from 

 Cashmere to Sikhim. I saw it at Darjeeling, where not common, 

 frequenting thick brush-wood, and coming to the road to feed on 

 insects. Adams found it at high elevations, among rocks and preci- 

 pices, in the N. W. Himalayas. I quite recently procured one 

 specimen, and saw others, frequenting long grass jungle, not far 

 from the banks of the Ganges at Carasfola Ghat. It came to the 

 small foot paths, especially near the edge of water, to feed. It 

 is only a cold weather visitor at Darjeeling, but may probably 

 breed in the interior. 



Gen. Cyanecula, Brehm. 



Char. — Bill rather short, slightly conic, straight; wings mode- 

 rate, 3rd and 4th quills equal and longest, 5th a little shorter, 

 2nd equal to 6th, tail rather short, nearly even ; tarsus mode- 

 rately long ; claws very slightly curved. 



The Blue-throats differ from the other membei's of this section by 

 their firmer wings, and plumage generally,the wings being somewhat 

 more pointed, and the tail is sub-even, and somewhat fan-shaped,- 

 the feathers scarcely, if at all, mucronate, and bright rufous at 



