THE SIBERIAN BLUE ROBIN. 
13 
Genus EEITHACUS, Cuvier. 
11. ERITHACUS CYANE. 
THE SIBERIAN BLUE ROBIN. 
Motacilla cyane, Pall. Reis, Russ. Reichs, iii. p. 697. Larvivora cyane, Wald. 
in Bl. B. Burm. p. 101 ; Dav. et Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 238, pi. 27 ; Hume 8r Dai\ 
Str. Feath. vi. p. 335 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 100. Erithacus cyaneus, Seehohm, 
Cat. Birds B. Mus. v. p. 303. Brachypteryx vel Callene sp., Beavan, Ibis, 
1870, p. 321 ; Bl. B. Btirm. p. 101. 
Description. — Male. The base of the bill, the lores and a line under 
the cheeks black ; cheeks, ear- coverts and the whole upper plumage 
blue; wings and tail brown, washed with blue on the outer webs; 
the whole under plumage pure white, the flanks washed with brown. 
The female has the whole lower surface white, washed with fulvous on 
the flanks and breast, the feathers of the latter also tipped slightly with 
brown ; lores, cheeks and ear- coverts mingled fulvous and brown ; the 
whole upper plumage, the wings and tail olive-brown. 
The young bird, according to Mr. Hume, is like the female, but has the 
upper tail-coverts washed with blue. 
Legs, feet and claws fleshy white ; upper mandible in the male dark, in 
the female pale horny brown ; lower mandible fleshy white or pale brown ; 
gape fleshy white ; one male had the upper mandible horny black ; irides 
deep brown. [Davison.) 
Length 5"6, tail I'8, wing 2"8, tarsus I'l, bill from gape '7. The female 
is rather smaller. 
The Siberian Blue Robin was found abundantly by Mr. Davison in 
Tenasserim, where it occurs in the better-wooded parts, not ascending the 
higher hills. I procured one specimen in Pegu at Kyeikpadein. It is of 
course only a winter visitor. It has also been obtained in Malacca. 
This Robin has a wide range in Eastern Asia. It is found in summer in 
Siberia, from Lake Baical eastwards ; and in winter it is spread over 
China, reaching to Borneo, and occasionally finding its way to Northern 
India. 
It is replaced in India by an afiined species, E. hrunneus, which is 
chestnut below instead of white. 
According to Mr. Davison this species keeps entirely to the ground, 
searching among dead leaves for its food, which is chiefly insects. 
