Birds of the Indian Hills 



abdomen, is Tickell's blue-flycatcher {Cyornis 

 tickelli). It has the characteristic habits of its 

 tribe, and continually makes, from a perch, little 

 sallies into the air after flying insects. But, 

 more often than not it starts from one branch, 

 and, having secured its quarry, alights on an- 

 other. It sings a joyous lay, not unlike that 

 of the fantail-flycatcher, but less sweet and 

 powerful. It nests in a hole in a tree or bank, 

 laying in May two or three eggs very thickly 

 speckled with red spots. 



The grey-headed flycatcher (Cultcicapa 

 ceylonensis) is a bird of somewhat sombre plum- 

 age. Its total length is only five inches, and of 

 this half is composed of tail. The head is 

 ashy grey, the back and wings are greenish ; the 

 lower plumage is bright yellow, but this is not 

 conspicuous except when the bird is on the 

 wing. This flycatcher has a loud song, which 

 may be syllabised : Think of me. . . Never 

 to be. 



The white-browed fantail-flycatcher (Rhipi- 

 dura albifrontatd), which delights the inhabi- 

 tants of Madras with its cheerful whistle of 

 five or six notes, occurs on the Nilgiris, but 

 is there largely replaced by an allied species — 

 the white-spotted fantail-flycatcher (i?. pecto- 



