1847.] or Little Known Species of Birds. 133 



it is mentioned to agree in the grouping of its colours with the Robin 

 of Europe, but in the form of the bill to present as it were a link be- 

 tween the genera Erylhaca and Phcenicura. The Motacilla cyanura, 

 Gmelin, from Siberia, may refer to the female of either this or the preced- 

 ing, or to that of some other equally allied species. Size and proportions 

 of last, save that the tail is a quarter of an inch longer. The male 

 has the upper-parts Prussian- blue, brightening and inclining to ultra- 

 marine upon the sides of the forehead over the eyes, on the shoulder 

 of the wing, and on the rump: lower-parts white, confined to a 

 narrow streak on the throat and fore-neck, but the flanks bright ferru- 

 ginous : bill blackish, and legs dark brown. The female has the upper- 

 parts uniform brown, with a trace of blue on the shoulder of the wing, 

 a supercilium greyish-blue posteriorly, and russet margins to the terti- 

 aries ; tail blue as in the male, and the rump lighter and more greyish- 

 blue : middle of belly, lower tail-coverts, and median line of throat, 

 white ; and the flanks bright ferruginous as in the other sex. This 

 ferruginous colour of the flanks, with the hue of the upper-parts, 

 produces a certain resemblance of colouring to the Robin of Europe, 

 sufficient to have elicited the remark of Prof. Jameson. Inhabits the 

 Himalaya generally, at least from Simla to Darjeeling. 



3. I. Jlavolivacea, (Hodgson). I have little doubt that this is a female 

 bird, distinguished from the females of the two preceding species by 

 having no blue on its rump or tail. The tarse is longer than in the 

 others, measuring an inch and one-eighth ; wing two inches and seven- 

 eighths ; total length five and a half, of which the tail is two and a 

 quarter. Upper- parts uniform brown, the loral region and throat 

 rufescent-white, and rest of the under-parts dilute rusty : bill dusky, 

 the base of the lower mandible pale ; and the legs pale. Described 

 from Mr. Hodgson's only specimen. 



Ruticilla, Brehm : Phcenicura, Swainson. The Redstarts. Of the 

 typical members of this genus, the European R. phcenicurus was 

 obtained by the late Sir A. Burnes on the banks of the Indus.* — 2. R. 

 erythrogastra, (Gould.) : Motacilla aurorea, Pallas ; Ph. Reevesii, Gray, 

 described in XII, 963. Inhabits Nepal and Assam, and extends from 

 the Caucasus to Japan (as I am informed by Mr. Strickland, who also 

 favoured me with its synonyraes as here given). — 3. R. leucoptera, 



* The other European species, R. tithys, 13 common in Afghanistan. 



T 



