DAVISON^S MINIVET. 
237 
seen it in every portion of the Division. It is probably common over the 
whole of Arrakan_, but I can find no record of its occurrence there. Capt. 
Wardlaw Ramsay procured it in Karennee. Mr. Davison states that it is 
common in Tenasserim as far south as Tavoy ; thence occurring even down 
to MalewooUj but comparatively rare in the extreme southern portion. It 
also occurs in the Thoungyeen valley. 
Outside British Burmah it is spread over a large tract of country. Dr. 
Anderson found it common at and around Bhamo. It has also been found 
in Cachar^ Tipperah and the whole of Assam. Mr. Swinhoe records the 
race P. fraterculus from Hainan^ and Mr. Sharpe gives Siam and Cochin 
China as localities where it is founds and Dr. Tiraud records P. elegans 
from the latter country. 
The Minivets are a group of brightly coloured birds_, the males being 
for the most part clothed in black and red and the females in yellow. 
They associate in small flocks and traverse the forests in search of their 
insect food^ hopping restlessly from branch to branch with a low pleasant 
twitter. They feed entirely on the small insects which lie concealed in 
the bark and on the leaves. Some of the species come into gardens and 
are not at all shy. The present gorgeous species is perhaps the best 
known of all^ and is styled Hgnet-Min-Tiia/^ or the Prince-bird^ by the 
Burmese. They make very beautiful nests : a brief description of the 
nidification of P. peregrinus will be found below. 
227. PERICROCOTUS FLAMMIFER. 
DAVISON^S MINIVET. 
Pericrocotus flammifer, Hmne, 8. F. iii. p. 321 (footnote), v. p. 195; viii. p. 91 ; 
Sharpe^ Cat. Birds B. Mus. iv. p. 74. 
Description. — Male. The whole head, neck, back, scapulars, lesser Aving- 
coverts and primary- coverts deep glossy black ; primaries black, all but the 
first three with a scarlet patch ; secondaries black, with the bases scarlet ; 
tertiaries blacky each feather with a scarlet mark near the tip of the outer 
web ; greater wing-coverts black, broadly tipped with scarlet ; rump, upper 
tail-coverts, under wing-coverts and the whole lower plumage from the 
neck downwards scarlet ; tail scarlet, except the central pair of feathers, in 
which the whole inner web and the base of the outer are black. 
Female. Forehead, front of head, cheeks, lower back, rump, upper tail- 
coverts and the whole lower plumage bright yellow ; remainder of head, 
back, scapulars and lesser wing-coverts' ashy brown tinged with green ; 
greater coverts dark brown, tipped yellow ; wing dark brown, marked like 
