298 
BIRDS OF BRITISH BUBMAH. 
The Large Fairy Blue-Cliat was recorded from Tenasserim many years 
ago by Mr. Blyth. Mr. Davison observed it in January and February on 
Mooleyit mountain and its spurs, where he states that it was not uncommon. 
This handsome bird extends into the hill-tracts of Eastern Bengal^ and 
is found in the Himalayas from Assam to Nipal. 
Mr. Davison remarks of this species : — " Is quite a forest bird ; seen 
only in trees, dry bushwood and even fallen trees, but never, by me, 
actually on the ground. It occasionally catches insects on the wing, but 
this is not its common practice. It seems a sluggsih bird, sitting for half 
an hour at a time quite still and silent on a branch. Indeed I never heard 
its note, but then I never met with it during the breeding-season.''^ 
The nest and eggs appear to be very similar to those of N. sundara. 
282. NILTAVA LEUCOPE^OCTA. 
THE WHITE-TAILED BLUE-CHAT. 
Trichastoma leucoproctum, Tweedd. P. Z. S. 1877, p. 366 Hume, S. F. yii. p. 318. 
Niltava leucura, Tweedd. Ann. Nat. Hist. ser. 4, xx. p. 95. Muscitrea cya- 
nea, Hume, S. F. v. p. 101 ; Hume ^ Bav. S. F. vi. p. 207 ; Hume, S. F. vii. 
p. 318, viii. p. 91. Niltava leucoprocta, Wardlaio Ramsay, Tweedd. Mem., 
App. p. 668. 
Description. — Male. Nasal plumes and lores black; forehead, crown, 
nape and a small patch on the wing-coverts^ near the edge of the wing, 
cobalt-blue; the whole upper plumage and wing-coverts deep blue; quills 
dark brown edged with blue ; the four central tail-feathers dull blue, the 
next pair dark brown edged with blue and with a long streak of white on 
the outer web ; the next two pairs brown on the outer, and almost entirely 
white on the inner, webs ; the outermost pair brown, merely white at the 
base ; sides of the head and neck, chin, throat and breast dull blue ; abdo- 
men and sides of the body bluish grey ; vent and under tail-coverts pure 
white ; under wing-coverts ashy. 
The female has the nasal plumes and lores reddish brown; the whole 
upper plumage olive-brown tinged with rufous; wing-coverts and quills 
dark brown broadly edged with bright rufous; tail brown tinged with rufous, 
and with the same distribution of white on it as in the male, but in addition 
the outermost feathers are broadly edged with white on the inner web ; 
ear-coverts like the back, but with pale shafts ; chin, throat, breast and 
sides of the body rufous-olive ; a large patch of white on the fore neck ; 
centre of the abdomen whitish ; vent and under tail-coverts pure white ; 
under wing-coverts and axillaries rufous ashy. 
