PERICROCOTUS PEREGRINUS. 



Little Pericrocotus. 



Parus peregrinus, Linn. Syst. Nat., torn. i. p. 342. — lb. Gmel. Edit., torn. i. p. 1010. — Sparr. Mus. Carls., torn. ii. 



pis. 48, 49.— Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p. 564. 

 Motacilla cinnamomea, Linn. Syst. Nat., torn. i. p. 335. — lb. Gmel. Edit., torn. i. p. 985. 

 Parus coccineus, Gmel. Edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., torn. i. p. 1015. 



malabaricus, Gmel. Edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., torn. i. p. 1012. — Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p. 564. 



— : — ■ Jndicus, Sparr. Mus. Carls-., pi.- 50. 



L'Oranor, LeVaill. Ois. d'Afrique, torn. iv. p. 13. 



Le Gobe mouches Oranor, LeVaill. Ois. d'Afrique, torn. iv. pi. 155. figs. 1, 2. 



Crimson-rumped Flycatcher, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. vi. p. 174. 



Malabar Titmouse, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. iv. p. 555. — Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. x. p. 49. 



Crimson-rumped Titmouse, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. iv. p. 539. — lb. Supp., vol. ii. p. 255. 



Muscicapajlammea, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p. 474, var. /3. 



Cinnamon Warbler, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. iv. p. 447. — Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. x. p. 410. 



Cinnamon Flycatcher, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. vi. p. 175. 



Muscipeta peregrina, Gould, Cent, of Birds, pi. ix. — Sykes in Proc. of Comm. of Sci. and Corr. of Zool. Soc., part ii. 



p. 85. 

 Phcenicornis peregrina, Gould, Cent, of Birds, text to pi. ix. — Jerd. Madr. Journ. of Lit. and Sci., vol. x. p. 244. 

 Muscicapa peregrinus, Tick. Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., vol. ii. p. 574. 

 Pericrocotus peregrinus, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 282, Pericrocotus, sp. 7. — Blyth, Journ. Asiat. 



Soc. Beng., vol. xv. p. 310.— lb. Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, p. 193. — Bonap. Consp. 



Gen. Av. p. 356, Pericrocotus, sp. 1. — Horsf. Cat. of Birds in Mus. East Ind. Comp., vol. i. p. 140. — 



Layard in Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 2nd ser., vol. xiii. p. 127. 

 Bulal Chusm of the Hindoos, Jerdon. 

 Sahelee, in the Himalayas, Royle. 

 Sayelee of the Hindoos, Jerdon. 

 Little Shah Soki-hapir, Dr. F. B. Hamilton. 



The Pericrocotus peregrinus is the smallest member of the genus yet discovered ; at the same time it is 

 more generally dispersed than any other, and enjoys a wider range. It occurs in abundance in every part 

 of the peninsula of India, from the base of the Himalayas to its most southern limits. It also inhabits 

 Ceylon, where, according to Mr. Layard, it unites with P.Jlammeus, both species hunting in company for 

 insects and their larvae. Mr. Blyth states that it is found in Arakan, and, if I mistake not, it extends its 

 range to Java and Borneo, for I have received specimens from those countries which are so similar in 

 every respect, that, before separating them, I should wish to see and compare additional examples. 



Most of my specimens from the northern parts of India are lighter in colour tban those from Madras 

 and Ceylon, the colouring of their upper surface being a light grey, while a corresponding paleness occurs 

 in the scarlet of the under surface ; in size and relative admeasurements, however, I find little or no 

 difference ; I am inclined, therefore, to consider them as mere varieties. 



While the sexes present the same distinctive characters as occur in the larger members of the genus, 

 the plumage of the female is much more suffused with grey above, and is of a greyish-white stained with 

 yellow beneath ; and the lower part of her back and upper tail-coverts are red. 



"This pretty and lively bird," says Mr. Jerdon, "is more numerously and extensively spread than any 

 of its congeners, and is to be found in most woody situations, even in the dry Carnatic, in jungle, and in 

 thick hedges and avenues occasionally, and in some of the larger topes in the Deccan. It is, however, most 

 abundant on the west coast. It is a restless and active little creature, ever engaged in diligently examining 

 the extreme branches of trees, gleaming among the foliage and hanging from the slender twigs like a 

 Titmouse. It feeds upon various larva? (which are its favourite food) and small insects.'' 



Lieut. Tickell informs us, that " the males unite in flocks apart from the females at the close of the cold 

 season." 



Captain Boys states, that it is "found in small flocks often or twenty frequenting the tops of the lofty 

 trees ; restless in their motions, and catching flies and other insects on the wing ; while flying emits a weak 

 piping note, somewhat like the word Week. 



" The tongue is large, cartilaginous and horny towards its bifurcated apex. The roof of the mouth is 

 yellowish-grey ; the bill and feet black, and the eye dark brown." 



The Hon. F. J. Shore obtained specimens at Kheree on the 10th of Dec. 1828, and at Futtehgurh on the 

 17th of June, 1834. 



The male has the lores, cheeks and throat jet-black ; head, back of the neck and upper part of the back 

 very dark grey ; wings black, with a large patch of scarlet at the base of the innermost primaries and 

 secondaries ; tail black, the three outer feathers on each side largely tipped with scarlet, and the next on 

 each side with an oblique stripe of the same hue along the apical half of the external and a portion of the 

 internal web ; breast, all the under surface, lower part of the back and upper tail-coverts deep orange- 

 scarlet ; under surface of the shoulder, and the under surface of the scarlet mark on the centre of the wing- 

 rich yellow ; bill and feet black ; irides dark brown. 



A specimen from the collection of Dr. John Murray, Civil Surgeon at Agra, differs in having all the 

 colours of a much lighter hue ; the mark on the wing yellow, stained with scarlet ; and the under surface 

 yellow, washed with scarlet on the breast. 



The female has the upper surface light grey ; wings dark grey, with lighter edges, and with a patch of 

 yellow in the centre ; a patch of orange on the rump, passing into the scarlet of the upper tail-coverts ; 

 tail dull black, with the lateral feathers largely tipped with orange, fading into pale yellow at the extremity ; 

 all the under surface yellowish-white. 



The Plate represents both sexes of the size of life. The plant is the Beaumontia grandiflora of Dr. Wallich. 



