278 
BIEDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 
Genus MUSCICAPA, Unn. 
263. MUSCICAPA ALBICILLA. 
THE WHITE-TAILED ROBIN-FLYCATCHER. 
Muscicapa albicilla, Pall. Zoogr. Rosso-Asiat. i. p. 462, Aves, tab. 1. Muscicapa 
albicilla, Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. Mus. iv. p. 162. Erythrosterna leucura 
(Gm.), Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 481 ; Bl. B. Burm. p. 103. Erythosterna albicilla, 
Afiders. Yunnan Exped. p. 621 ; Hume 8f Dav. S. F. vi. p. 233 ; David et Oust. 
Ois. Chine, p. 120 ; Smdhj, F. viii. p. 280 ; Hume, S. F. yiii. p. 93. 
Description. — Male in summer. The upper plumage and wings olive- 
brown^ the latter margined paler ; upper tail- coverts black ; tail black_, the 
four outer pairs of feathers white for about two thirds of their length from 
the base ; lores mixed ashy and white ; chin and throat orange ; ear- 
coverts_, cheeks and a band passing round the orange of the throat pure 
ashy, extending on to the upper breast in many specimens ; remainder of 
lower plumage ashy white. 
The male in winter loses the orange on the chin and throaty and the 
lower plumage is tinged with buff ; there is a conspicuous ring of white 
feathers round the eye_, which does not appear to be present in the summer. 
The female at all seasons is like the male in summer. 
Bill dark brown, yellowish at the gape; mouth yellow; iris hazel- 
brown ; legs and claws black ; eyelids grey. 
Length 5-1 inches, tail 21, wing 2'75_, tarsus '65, bill from gape '6, The 
female is of the same size. 
The amount of orange on the throat varies very much, and it is not easy 
to draw a line between this bird and M. parva of Europe. 
The White-tailed Robin -Flycatcher is a cold-weather visitor to Burmah. 
' It is common in Pegu and spread over the whole Division. I have observed 
it from the middle of November to the end of March. Mr. Blytli records 
it from Arrakan and says that it is very common about Akyab, and Mr. 
Shopland sent me specimens from thence. Capt. Wardlaw Ramsay met 
with it on the Karin hills near Tonghoo. It appears to be spread over 
the whole of Tenasserim ; and Capt. Bingham states that it arrives in the 
Thoungyeen valley early in September before the rains are over. 
This bird has a wide range, extending in winter over the whole of India 
and S. China, and summering in Eastern Siberia and N. China. 
This Flycatcher is found chiefly in gardens and low jungle where there 
are a few large trees. It plays among the branches, catching insects by 
short snatches and springs. It is in the habit of shaking its tail up and 
down frequently, and resembles the Bush- Chats in this particular ; but it 
does not descend to the ground as they do. 
