16 



Catalogue of the Birds 



of the northern ghauts near Ajunteh. It captures its insect prey on the 

 wing, as well as occasionally on the ground, returning to the same 

 perch. Length about 6 inches ; of wing Sy^ ths ; tail 3 inches; tarsus 

 ■j-^-thsj bill to front l3_ths ; to gape-j^^ths; bill and legs black. 1 rides 

 deep brown; bill short triangular — 4th quill the longest, Sdsubequalto 

 the 5 th. 



152.— A/, alhi-caudata. — New species ? — M, tlialassina, Swains. ? — 

 White tailed ox Neilgherrij Blue Flycatcher. 



Descr.^Oi a deep indigo blue colour, inclining to lazuline on the 

 forehead, head and shoulders ; belly ashy blue mingled with whitish; 

 under tail covert whitish, barred with dusky blue; wings and tail dusky 

 black; the feathers edged with blue, and those of the tail (the centre 

 feathers excepted) white at their base; bill and legs black. Irides deep 

 brown. Length 6^ inches; of wing Sy^^-ths; tail 2 -j%ths ; tarsus 

 ^^ths ; bill to front y^^ths ; to gape -/-ths ; bill rather longer and 

 less triangular than in M. melanops, not so long as in M. pallipes and 

 31, hanyumas — 4th and 5th quills equal and longest. 



I have hitherto only found this species on the Neilgherries, in the 

 dense woods of which it is far from being uncommon. It captures in- 

 sects of various kinds on the wing, from a fixed percti, occasionally a 

 small flock of five or six of them are seen together in a state of con- 

 tinual movement, taking short darts and gambols in the air, as much in 

 sport apparently, as in actual pursuit of insects. 



153. — M. super ciliar is, — New species?. — White browed blue Flycatcher, 



Descr. — Above and sides of the breast, of a beautiful light indigo, or 

 rather prussian blue, beneath ; superciliary stripe extending to some 

 distance behind the eyes, and base of the tail; feathers (except the 

 central ones), pure snowy white. Some of the feathers of the rump 

 with the shaft, and a bar in the middle of the feather, also white ; 

 bill and legs black. Irides deep brown. Length 4f inches; wing 

 2 -j-^-g-ths; tail i ^yhs; tarsus-j\ths ; bill to front y^Q-ths; to gapey^^ths; 

 bill more lengthened than in the two last, very little compressed ; wings 

 with 4th quill longest, 3d and 5 th subequal. 



I lately obtained a single specimen of this beautiful little species, in 

 a wooded valley, at the edge of the range of northern ghauts. 



154.— il/. Poonensis, Sykes. — M. latirostris, Swains. Nat. Lib. vol. 

 21 1—Zu/c/cee, II.— Indian Grey Flycatcher. 



