PERICROCOTIUS PEKE&RJînffS.
PERICROCOTUS PEREGRINUS.
Little Pericrocotus.
Pants peregrinus, Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 3 4 2 .— Ib . Gmel. Edit., tom. i. p. 1010.— Sparr. Mus. Carls., tom. ii.
pis. 48, 49.—Lath. Ind. Om., vol. ii. p. 564.
Motacilla cinnamomea, Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 335.—Ib. Gmel. Edit., tom. i. p. 985.
Pams coccineus, Gmel. Edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 1015.
maldbaricus, Gmel. Edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 1012.—Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p. 564.
Indicus, Sparr. Mus. Carls., pi. 50.
L’Oranor, LeVaill. Ois. d’Afrique, tom. iv. p. 13.
Le Gobe mouches Ora/nor, LeVaill. Ois. d’Afrique, tom. iv. pi. 155. figs. 1, 2.
Crimson-rumped Flycatcher, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. vi. p. 174.
Malabar Titmouse, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. iv. p. 555.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. x. p. 49.
Crimson-rumped Titmouse, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. iv. p. 539.'—Ib. Supp., vol. ii. p. 255.
Muscicapa flammea, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p. 474, var. /3.
Cinnamon Warbler, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. iv. p. 447.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. x. p. 410.
Cinnamon Flycatcher, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. vi. p. 175.
Muscipeta peregrina, Gould, Cent, of Birds, pi. ix.—Sykes in Proc. of Comm. ofSci. andCorr. of Zool. Soc., part ii.
p. 85.
Phomicomis peregrina, Gould, Cent, of Birds, text to pi. ix Jerd. Madr. Joum. of Lit. and Sci., vol. x. p. 244.
Muscicapa peregrinus, Tick. Joum. Asiat. Soc. Beng., vol. ii. p. 574.
Pericrocotus peregrinus, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 282, Pericrocotus, sp. 7.—Blyth, Journ. Asiat.
Soc. Beng., vol. xv. p. 310.—Ib. Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, p. 193.—Bonap. Consp.
Gen. Av. p. 356, Pericrocotus, sp. 1.—Horsf. Cat. of Birds in Mus. East Ind. Comp., vol. i. p. 140.—
Layard in Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 2nd ser., vol. xiii. p. 127.
Bulal Chusm of the Hindoos, Jerdon.
Sahelee, in the Himalayas, Royle.
Sayelee of the Hindoos, Jerdon.
Little Shah Soki-kapir, Dr. F. B. Hamilton.
T h e Pericrocotus peregrinus is the smallest member of the genus yet discovered ; a t the same time it is
more generally dispersed than any other, and enjoys a wider range. I t occurs in abundance in every part
o f the peninsula of India, from the base of the Himalayas to its most southern limits. I t also inhabits
Ceylon, where, according to Mr. Layard, it unites with P . flammeus, both species hunting in company for
insects and their larvæ. Mr. Blyth states that it is found in Arakan, and, if I mistake not, it extends its
range to Java and Borneo, for I have received specimens from those countries which are so similar in
every respect, that, before separating them, I should wish to see and compare additional examples.
Most of my specimens from the northern parts of India are lighter in colour than those from Madras
and Ceylon, the colouring of their upper surface being a light grey, while a corresponding paleness occurs
in the scarlet of the under surface ; in size and relative admeasurements, however, I find little or no
difference ; I am inclined, therefore, to consider them as mere varieties.
While the sexes present the same distinctive characters as occur in the larger members of the genus,
the plumage o f the female is much more suffused with grey above, and is of a greyish-white stained with
yellow beneath ; and the lower part of her back and upper tail-coverts are red.
“ This pretty and lively bird,” says Mr. Jerdon, “ is more numerously and extensively spread than any
of its congeners, and is to be found in most woody situations, even in the dry Carnatic, in jungle, and in
thick hedges and avenues occasionally, and in some o f the larger topes in the Deccan. I t is, however, most
abundant on the-west coast. I t is a restless and active little creature, ever engaged in diligently examining
the extreme branches of trees, gleaming among the foliage and hanging from the slender twigs like a
Titmouse. I t feeds upon various larvae (which are its favourite food) and small insects.’*
Lieut. Tickell informs us, that “ the males unite in flocks apart from the females at the close o f the cold
season.”
Captain Boys states, that it is “ found in small flocks of ten or twenty frequenting the tops of the lofty
trees ; restless in their motions, and catching flies and other insects on the wing ; while flying emits a weak
piping note, somewhat like the word Week.
“ The tongue is large, cartilaginous and horny towards its bifurcated apex. The roof of the mouth is
yellowisli-grey ; the bill and feet black, and the eye dark brown.”
The Hon. F. J . Shore obtained specimens at Kheree on the 10th o f Dec. 1828, and at Futtehgurh on the
17th of June, 1834.
The male has the lores, cheeks and throat jet-black ; head, back of the neck and upper p art of the back
very d a rk . grey ; wings black, with a large patch of scarlet at the base o f the innermost primaries and
secondaries ; tail black, the three outer feathers on each side largely tipped with scarlet, and the next on
each side with an oblique stripe of the same hue along the apical half of the external and a portion of the
internal web ; breast, all the under surface, lower p art of the back and upper tail-coverts deep orange-
scarlet ; under surface o f the shoulder, and the under surface of the scarlet mark on the centre of the wing
rich yellow ; bill and feet black ; irides dark brown.
A specimen from the collection of Dr. John Murray, Civil Surgeon a t Agra, differs in having all the
colours of a much lighter hue ; the mark on the wing yellow, stained with scarlet ; and the under surface
yellow, washed with scarlet on the breast.
The female has the upper surface light grey ; wings dark grey, with lighter edges, and with a patch of
yellow in the centre ; a patch of orange on the rump, passing into the scarlet o f the upper tail-coverts ;
tail dull black, with the lateral feathers largely tipped with orange, fading into pale yellow a t the extremity ;
all the under surface yellowish-white.
The Plate represents both sexes of thé size of life. The plant is the Beaumontia grandiflora of Dr. Wallich.