Illustrations of Indian Ornithology ; 



have seen it in Travancore, Malabar, the ^Fynaad, and the forest skirting the base ol" the 

 Neilgherries on its Eastern face, but not in the Carnatic or Deccan, there being no forests 

 in these districts, except liere and there on the slope, and at the base of the Eastern ghauts, 

 find in tlic places where I have traversed these hills, 1 have looked in v;iin for it. Towards 

 the North of the Peninsula, in the jungles of Goomsoor, its place is occupied by the 

 PhcEnicorms princeps and P. hrecirosfris of Vigors, which two species appear to extend 

 through Central India to the Himalayas. The PJi(Bnicornis fiammcus, though often to be 

 seen in the more ojicn and cleared spaces of the jungles, is never, that I have observed 

 met with away from the woods. It ascends the sides of mountain ranges to a considerable 

 height, and I fancied was more numerous in the elevated region of Wynaad, than in most 

 other localities. I saw it though rarely in woods on the summit of the NcUgherries, but 

 only at their Northern face. It is a tolerably common and abundant species in its appro- 

 priate haunts, and, from its bright and showy colours, attracts the notice of most travellers 

 through the lofty forests of Western India. 



It keeps chiefly to the tops of high trees, where it may be seen usually in small 

 flocks, frislcing about, picking an insect off a branch or leaf, or occasionally catching one in 

 the air. The males keep up a continual whistling call. Its food seenxs to consist chiefly of 

 coleopterous insects. 



The Gohe mouche oranor de I'Isle de Ceylon figured by Levaillant in his Oiseaux 

 d'Afriaue, Plate 155, and named Suhfava by VieiUot, appears to me to be very probably 

 this species, though I see that Lesson refers it to his genus Muscylca, and makes it synonymous 

 with Gmelin's Hufiventer, while M. miniata, and M. jlammea are referred to his genus Acis 

 which is the same I believe as Pheenicornis. Should this conjecture be correct, Subflaca , 

 would have the priority of /?a;MOTm I suppose, unless indeed the P//. _/?a?n?/»eMs of Swain- 

 son or Temminck's M. jlammea prove distinct from tlie species of Southern India, figured 

 here which I suspect may be the case, as Mr. Blyth informs me that the P. Jtammeus 

 figured in Swainsoii's Zoological Illustrations, appears to differ somewhat fi'om my speciinenfi 

 of presumed Jlammeus. 



I can add nothing to the knowledge to be gained from an examination of the 

 accompanying Plate, except by giving the dimensions of the bird which are as follows. 



Length 8 to 85 inches, — wing 3tV — tail 4, — tarsus -j-V, — bill at front Tutbs. 



Besides P. princeps, and P. bremrostris of Mgors, previously mentioned as hav- 

 ing been procured by me in Goomsoor, there are others foimd on the Continent of ludisi 

 which I shall briefly enumerate here. 



