248 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



meeting at the nape; back, rump, and the very long upper tail- 

 coverts, brilliant deep rusty-yellow ; wings and tail jet black, 

 and the former with more or less white on their inner webs ; a 

 large central portion of the wings, purplish slaty ; the scapulars 

 olive-yellow ; and most of the quills, and lateral tail-feathers, 

 tipped with white ; below, from chin to the legs pure white ; from 

 the middle of the abdomen to the under tail-coverts, flavescent, the 

 flanks broadly barred with black. The female is a trifle smaller, 

 her mantle is paler and more flavescent, and variegated with black 

 longitudinal drops, and her cheek-band is brown instead of 

 black. 



Bill blackish above, plumbeous beneath ; legs orange yellow ; 

 irides brown. Length 7 inches; extent 11; Aving 3f; tail 1\\ 

 bill at front f- ; tarsus 1-j— ; hind toe and claw f . 



This bird has hitherto only been procured in the S. E. Himalayas, 

 from Nepal to Bootan. I found it not very common at Darjeeling, 

 usually from 6,000 to 8,000 feet and upwards. It frequents very 

 high trees in small flocks, and lives both on fruit and insects. 



Gen. Leioptila, Blyth. 



Char. — Bill somewhat lengthened, slender and slightly curved, 

 the tip of the upper mandible slightly bent over, and feebly emar- 

 ginate ; nostrils long, narrow ; rictal bristles fine and inconspicuous ; 

 wings rather short, rounded, 4th and 5th quills equal and longest ; 

 tertiaries broad, almost truncated ; tail moderately long, the outer 

 ones graduating, the central feathers equal. 



This genus was considered by Blyth to connect Sibia with Yuhina, 

 with affinities for Actinodura, Sibia being according to him one of 

 the GarrulaciiKS, and Yuliina a Leiotrichine bird. Gray puts 

 Leioptila among the short-winged Thrushes. I unhesitatingly 

 place it in the present group, so far agreeing with Blyth in its 

 affinities for Yuliina. Its relations te> Actinodura, I believe, to be 

 those of analogy merely. Its coloration resembles both Pterutliias 

 and Cittia, and the Lepchas call them both by the^amo name. It 

 is in reality, nothing but a slender-billed Cutia. 



613. Leioptila annectans, Blytji. 



J. A. S., XVI., 450 — liabnun-plio, Lepch. 



