34 
The Large Niltava. 
seems quit" hardy and easy to keep, and I have not had' any difficulty 
whatever in keeping him in perfect health. He is fed on Tnsectile 
Mixture, besides a lot of grapes and apple cut up, also half a dozen 
mealworms per day. He sings all day long, ami although not a very 
loud song it is quite a pleasant one . When showing off he. is lovelj' ; 
drawing his neck up to its full length and opening out his tail like a 
huge fan. He will never miss his bath a single morning, and is not 
happy till he gets it. J am lucky in possessing such a charming pet." 
A. EZR'A. 
Mr. Goodchild's studies were taken from the living- 
birds, the result of which is the frontisi^ieee of this issut;,. wliich 
renders further enlarg'ement unnecessary save to g-ive descrip- 
tion and wild habits. 
Description : Adiilf Male — Upper plumage dark purplish-blue ; 
forehead, lores, cheeks, and ear-coverts velvety-black : crown, patch 'on 
each side of neck, shoulders, and upper tail-coverts glistening ultramarine 
suffused with cobalt ; tail, central feathers purplish-blue, others brown 
on innei webs and blue on outer ; beneath : chin, throat, and breast 
velvety black ; abdomen black with purplish sliccn ; ventral region and 
under tail-coverts dark blackish-ashy tinged with fulvous ; underside of 
wings and tail black ; bill, black ; irides dark brown ; legs and feet black 
tinged with plumbeous. Total length 8' inches, tail 
Female — Mostly olive-brown ; crown and nape ashy-brown, washed 
with rufous on the back and rump ; the wings and tail dark brown, with 
the outer webs strongly suffused with rufous ; forehead, lores, eye region, 
ear-coverts, and cheeks fulvous with pale shafts ; the feathers of the chin, 
throat and breast have also pale shafts and the centre of abdomen is strongly 
suffused with ashy-brown ; a bright blue patch adorns each side of the 
neck ; beak dark brown : irides brown ; legs and feet lightish brown. 
Yoioig — "The young nestling is dark brown streaked with ful- 
vous; wings and tail as in the female" (\V. Gates — " Pauna of Brit. 
India) ' The young male is blackish with dark ferruginous spots; and 
is very Meruline in appearance" (T. C. Jerdon — "Birds of India.") 
It is found in the Himalayas from Nepal to Assam at 
an altitude of from 4,000 to 7,000 feet, the Kasi and Naga 
Hills, ManiiHir, Muleyit Mountains to Tenasserim. While 
having the genera) habits of the typical Flycatchers, the Xil- 
tavas spend more t,ime on the ground than is usual with such, 
and they vary their insect menu, at certain periods, with 
berries and seeds. According to Jerdon it is more shy and 
retiring i)i its habits than the Rufous -bellied Niltava (iV. 
sundara), favouring thick shady glens in the vicinity of 
water, gathering much of its insect prey from the 
ground. The nesting period is from April to June, the nest 
