CUTIA NIPALENSIS, Hod gs . 



Nepaul Cutia. 



Cutia Nipalensis, Hodgs. Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng. vol. v. p. 774, and vol. vi. p. 112.— Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. 



Beng. vol. xi. p. 183.— lb. Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, p. 98— Gray and Mitch. Gen. 



of Birds, vol. iii. App. p. 15— Gray, List of Spec, and Draw, of Mamm. and Birds presented to Brit. 



Mus. by B. H. Hodgson, Esq., p. 96.-Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. p. 373— Horsf. Cat. of Birds in Mus. 



East Ind. Comp. vol. i. p. 227. 

 Heterornis (Cutia) nipalensis, Hodgs. in Gray's ZooL Misc. p. 84. 

 Khatya or Khutya, of the Nepaulese. 



The Cutia Nipalensis is a most singular bird, the style and colouring of its plumage reminding us of some 

 of the members of the genus Pteruthius, while its structure resembles that of Pastor. It is a native of 

 Nepaul and Bootan, and is by no means common in our collections. Mr. Hodgson had the honour of first 

 giving it generic and specific appellations, accompanied by the following brief note, which I find in the fifth 

 volume of the " Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal : " — 



" These birds inhabit the central and northern regions of Nepaul, adhering to the wilds, and feed on seeds 

 and hard ground insects." Specimens of both sexes are contained in the collection at the British Museum, 

 and in that of the Honourable East India Company ; and it is to the Court of Directors that I am indebted 

 for a fine example of each sex which I myself possess : a -fine male was also presented to me by Edward 

 Vernon Harcourt, Esq. 



As will be seen on reference to the accompanying Plate, a well-marked difference occurs in the sexes ; the 

 back of the male being of a uniform colour, while in the opposite sex the uniformity is broken by tear-shaped 

 spots of black. 



The male has the forehead and crown dark slate-grey, passing into deep black on the lores ; ear-coverts 

 and base of the neck, back, scapularies, rump and upper tail-coverts orange-red, bounded towards the wings 

 with a streak of a greyer hue ; wings black, the primaries and secondaries broadly margined at the base of 

 the external webs with bluish grey, and slightly tipped with white ; chin, throat and centre of the abdomen 

 white ; sides of the neck and flanks buff, decorated with conspicuous crescentic bands of brownish black ; 

 under tail-coverts buff ; irides brown ; base of the under mandible blue ; remainder of the bill black ; legs 

 reddish or orange flesh-colour. 



In the female the lores and ear-coverts are reddish brown ; the upper surface is of a dull red, with a tear- 

 shaped spot of black near the tip of each feather ; in other respects this sex resembles the male, but the 

 colours are not so bright. 



The figures are of the natural size. 



The plant is Ruellia anisophylla. 



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