throughout the whole of the Indo-Chinese countries, ranging into Siam and Cochin-China. I t extends as
far south as Tenasserim; but Mr. Hume states that near Mergiiii in the latter province there is already
exhibited a tendency towards the Malayan race, I . cyanea. Mr. Oates states that he found it extremely
abundant in all the evergreen forests on the eastern slopes of the Pegu hills, but that it is never seen on the
western slopes or on the plains.
In his paper on the birds of the Thoungyeen valley, Captain Bingham describes his finding o f a nest as
follows: “ On the 11th of April I was slowly clambering along a very steep hill-side overlooking the
Queebaw choung, a small tributary o f the Maplay stream, when from a tree, whose crown was below my
feet, I startled a female Irena puella off her nest. I could see the nest and that it contained two e g g s; so I
shot the female, who had taken to a tree a little above me. On getting the nest down I fbundijjfa poor
afiair of little twigs, with a superstructure of moss shaped into a hollow saucer, on which reposed two eggs,
large for the size o f the bird, of a dull greenish white, much dashed, speckled, and spotted with brown.
They were so hard set, that I only managed to save one, which measured 1*09 by 0 ’77 inch.”
The following description of the habits of the birds is copied verbatim from Captain Legge’s ‘ Birds of
Ceylon:’— “ The Fairy Bluebird associates in small parties and affects lofty trees in foliage, feeding on
their fruit. It is entirely a fruit-eating bird, and in this respect shows its affinity to the rest of the shortlegged
Thrushes (Brachypodidse). It is never found, says Mr. Davison, in the deciduous forests of
Tenasserim. The tenacious manner in which it confines itself to the evergreen jungle is remarkable; for he
writes, ‘ About Pappoon, where the forests are deciduous, I never saw o n e ; but, again, about twenty miles
to the north of that place, the bird reappears with evergreen forests.’ The constantly recurring supply of
food in the latter naturally accounts for the predilection of the Bluebird for th em ; but it is strange that
when deciduous woods are found in their vicinity it does not wander through them during the season of
fruition. Mr. Davison writes:— ‘ It is almost always found in flocks, but occasionally in pairs or even
singly. I t is a very bright and lively bird, always on the move, hopping from branch to branch or tree to
tree, uttering its fine note, which resembles exactly the words “ be quick, be quick.” They live on fruit, I
believe, exclusively, and are especially fond of figs; and where a fig-tree is in fruit great numbers
congregate, with Horubills, Green Pigeons, Fruit-Pigeons, and numbers o f other fruit-eating birds. In the
middle of the day they habitually come down to the banks o f streams and the smaller rivers to drink and
bathe.’ Jerdon styles its note ‘ a fine mellow warble, which it is constantly repeating, both when feeding
and when it flies from one tree to another.’ ”
I add the description of the species given by Mr. Bowdler Sharpe in the ‘ Catalogue o f Birds
"Adult male. General colour above deep purplish cobalt, o f a purer blue shade somewhat on the forehead;
scapulars as well as the breast and median coverts coloured exactly like the back, the greater series blackish,
with a cobalt-blue spot at the tips o f some o f them ; quills and tail black, with a slight bluish shade on the
secondaries and central tail-feathers; lores, feathers over the eye, sides of face, sides of neck, and entire
under surface, including the thighs and under wing-coverts, black; under tail-coverts deep purplish cobalt;
bill and legs black; iris ruby-red. Total length 10 inches, culmen 0*95, tail 4*45, tarsus 0'75, distance
between tip of tail-coverts and tip of tail l -6.
"Adult female. Different in colour from the male, being o f a dull Prussian blue, a little brighter and
inclining to cobalt on the rump and upper and under tail-coverts; wiugs and tail dark brown, the quills
narrowly edged and the secondaries and tail-feathers washed with dull blue, the latter more conspicuously )$:'
The Plate represents a pair o f birds o f the size of life, drawn from examples in my own collection.
[R. B. S.]