12 



Catalogue of the Birdt 



[Jan. 



Fam. MUSCfCAPIDiE, Swains. ? 



Sub Fam. MUSCICAPINiE, Sw.-^True Flycatchers, 



Genus RHIPIDURA, Vig. and Horsf. 



Sub Genus LEUCOCIRCA, Swains.—i'an/ai/ec? Flycatcher, 



143.— Z. albo-frontala. — B. alho-frontala, Frankl.— TF^tVe browed 

 FantaiL'—Mucchureea (i. e. Mosquito catcher), H.— Manatee, Mai. 



This pretty and lively Flycatcher, is only to be met with in the 

 southern parts of the peninsula, in well wooded districts, and open 

 forest jungle, as in Travancore and Malabar. I have never seen it in the 

 Carnatic. Towards the northern part of the table land, however, it 

 is much more common, being met with during the cold weather in 

 every clump of trees, and in wooded nullahs, indeed, throughout the 

 year. It is a most active and restless little creature, continually flit- 

 ting about, from branch to branch, snapping up an insect on the wing, 

 every now and then, and raising its outspread tail, and lowering its 

 wings, whenever it reseats itself on a twig. It is by far the most rest- 

 less of all the Indian Flycatchers, seldom returning to the same perch, 

 but traversing successively all the branches of the large trees it de- 

 lights to frequent. It is by no means uncommon in gardens, seating 

 itself on the sticks of peas or beans. I have once or twice seen it 

 perched on the back of a cow, that was laying down beneath a tree, and 

 pursuing insects from this unusual perch. I have also seen it on the 

 ground, near a thick hedge side. It has a very sweet little song, which 

 it warbles forth every now and then, consisting of several notes follow- 

 ing each other regularly in the descending scale. Its chief food is 

 small soft -winged insects, especially musquitoes. Its Malyalam 

 name signifies ^ washericoman,' and is given from the continual motion 

 of its tail. Irides dark brown ; bill and legs black. Length about 7 

 inches ; tail 3 -^-^ihs ; wing 3 ,e-^ths j tarsus /^^ths. 



144. — L. fuscoventris. — R. fuseoventris, Frankl. 



I have not hitherto shot this species, and have only once observed 

 it in low bushy ground on the Neilgherries. Colonel Sykes mentions 

 it as frequenting the same localities as the last species. 



