650 
MR. HODGSON’S COMMUNICATION. 
except now and then a few pieces of the cloth 
imported from Rungpur ; it a[)p8ars to be 
more cottony than the tussur, and to make a 
web warmer and softer than the tussur cloth, 
but it is not so strong. 
The cocoons called haumpottonee are un- 
known to us in Bengal^ and appear to be of 
small value, both as to quantity and texture : 
moreover, 1 imagine it would be very difficult 
to reel them into thread. 
The dco mooga cocoons are very small, but 
are fine and soft, and when fresh would yield, 
1 doufit not, a very delicate white thread : 
they are smaller than our desee (country) 
cocoon. 
The specimen of country worm silk is very 
fair, and if dressed would he quite equal to 
our Patna thread, from which korahs and 
other silk piece goods are made. 
The specimen of iron reel (or station me- 
thod) is very good, indeed, equal to our best 
native filatnie letter A: the thread is even, 
soft, sound, and remarkably strong, so that 
it may be w'ell ranked with our best second 
quality fronr the filatures of Bengal.” 
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATION. 
INDICATION OF A NEW GENUS OF 
INSESSORES, TENDING TO CON- 
NECT THE SYLVIAD^ AND MUS- 
CICAPIDJ5. 
By B. H. Hodgson, Esa., 
Resident in Nepal. 
(For the India Review.) 
DENTIROSTRES, SYLVIADiE, SAXICOLIN^. 
Genus Niltaya nobis. Niltau of Nepal. 
Bill Phoenicornian, equal to the head, 
stout, subdepressed, conico-subtetragonal. 
Culmen half carinated, and so far hid by a 
subsetaceous thick porrect frontal zone con- 
cealing the advanced nares. Legs and feet 
Sylviadan. Tarsi sufficiently elevate, | longer 
than the central toe, smooth, not feeble. 
Toes compressed, hard, slender, unequal ; 
laterals and hind approaching to equality : 
fores basally nect, the exterior one as far as 
the joint : sole flattish but not dilated. 
Nails slender, largish, acute, simple. Wings 
medial, round-acuminate, firm ; 5th quill 
longest, 1st and 2nd considerably, 3rd and 
4th trivially, and both subequally gradated. 
Tail medial, firm, even. Caudal and alar 
plumes finely pointed. Rictus rather wide 
and bristled ; chin and nares furnished with 
curling hairs. 
' Habits, forest-haunting, arboreal and 
terrestrial, but chiefly the former, exploring 
foliage. Food, various sorts of soft and hard, 
perfect and imperfect, insects. Bugs, fire- 
flies, tiny coleoptera, caterpillars, ants, pulpy 
berries, and hard seeds, the latter chiefly in 
winter. Solitary. Never seize on wing. 
Habitat central region of the hills. 
1st species and type. Niltava Sundara 
nobis. Nos. 142, 422-3 of the specimens and 
drawing apud Zoological Society of London. 
2nd species. Niltava Fuligiventer nobis. 
Nos. 143, 714 ut ante. 
3rd species. Niltava Brevipes nobis. 
Nos. 137-8. 
Phoenicura Rubeculoi’des of Gould’s Cen- 
tury. 
1st species. 7 inches long by 10 wide 
and I oz. Bill f. Tail 3. Tarsus 15-16ths 
Central toe 9-16ths, blind. 6-16ths. Closed 
wing 3^, whereof the 1st quill is If, the 2nd 
2f , the 3rd 3, l-16ths, the 4th 3,3-16ths, 
and the 5th 3,4-16ths. Wings to mid-tail 
or If inches less its tip. 
Colour. Mas. intire cap, spot on either 
side the neck, shoulders, rump, and caudal 
plumes externally, brilliant, filaceous, coeru- 
lean : lores, frontal baud, chin, throat, body 
above, and wings, black ; the two last with 
a vague dark blue gloss or superficial tint : 
whole body below and fining of the wings, 
brilliant rusty : bill black, legs plumbeous, 
iris brown. Female subolive, paler below, 
and fading to sordid white at the vent ; 
wings and tail externally, chesnut brown ; 
frontal zone, ochreous ; cheeks and chin, 
shaded with the same : white gorget on the 
top of the breast ; blue neck spot as in male, 
margining the gorget on its superior lateral 
edge. Sexes of equal size. Young at first like 
the female, but wanting the gorget and neck 
spot; chin greyish ; neck, breast, and sides 
gradually suffused with ferruginous. 
2nd species, fif inches long by 8 wide; f 
oz. Bill 9-16ths. Tail 2f. Tarsus 13-16ths. 
Central toe 8-lf)ths. Hind, 5-16ths. Bill 
shorter and less armed at the point than in 
the type : frontal zone more produced ; 
lateral toes less equal. 
Colour. Mas. above with the head and 
neck purpurescent dark blue, paler and 
richer on the shoulders and rump : lores and 
frontal band black, and margined above by 
filaceous cerulean, which also forms a spot 
on the neck, as in the last : alar and caudal 
plumes internally black : breast dusky, 
fading into sordid white lower down : fining 
of wings, white : bill black : legs fleshy 
brown : iris dark. Bill shorter than the 
head and more than half concealed by the 
frontal plumes. Female, as in Sundara; but 
the white gorget on the breast of the latter 
transferred in this to the chin and front of 
neck, which are white, with a black margin 
proceeding from the gape ; no blue spot on 
neck : bill dusky horn : legs fleshy grey. 
Young like female. 
