578 TIMELIID^, 



4. Mixornis rubricapilla. 



Motacilla nibricapilla, Tick. J. A. S. Beng. 1833, p. 576. 



lora cbloris, Bhith, J. A. S. Beiig. xi. p. 794 (1842). 



Mixornis ruficeps, Hodys. in Gray's Zool. Misc. p. 83 (1844) ; id. 

 P. Z. S. 1845, p. 23. 



Timalia g'lilaris. Gray, Cat. Mamm. etc. Nepal pres. Hodgs. p. 85. 



Mixornis chloris, Bp. Consp. i. p. 217. 



Timalia chloris, B}}. C. R. xxxviii. p. 69. 



Mixornis rubricapilla, Horsf. Sf Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E.I. Co. i. 

 p. 229; Jerd. B. hid. ii. p. 23; Wald. P. Z. S. 1866, p. 647; 

 Bh/fh, Ibis, 1867, p. 3 ; Beav. t. c. 1867, p. 432; Blanf. Ibis, 1869, 

 p. 467; Godwin-Aust. J. A. S. B. 1870, p. 103 ; Blyih, Ibis, 1870, 

 p. 170; Walden, Ibis, 1872, p. 376 ; Hume, Str. F. 1873, p. 118 ; 

 Ball, Str. F. 1874, p. 409; Hume, t. c. p. 476; id. Nests ^- Eggs 

 Ind. B. p. 245 ; Godivin-Aust. J. A. S. Bene/, xlv. pp. 75, 409 

 (1876) ; Anderson, Zool. E.vp. Yunnan p. 635 (1878) ; Hume Sf 

 Davison, Str. F. 1878, vol. i. p. 266; Hu7ne, Str. F. 1879, p. 95; 

 Gates, B. Brit. Burm. p. 50 (1883). 



Timalia rubricapilla, Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 316, no. 4718 (1869). 



Adult male. Above ashy brown with a slight wash of reddish or 

 olive, the rump and upper tail-coverts rather more yellow ; head 

 light chestnut-red, with a bright yellow streak from the base of the 

 bill above the eye ; lores dusky ; ear-coverts and sides of neck dull 

 yellowish ; cheeks, throat, and under surface of body bright sulphur 

 yellow, with narrow blackish-brown streaks on the cheeks, throat, 

 and breast, the sides of the body greenish ; under wing-coverts 

 yellowish white, inclining to bright yellow near the edge of the 

 wing ; wings above reddish brown ; the quills brown, externally pale 

 reddish brown, much lighter than the coverts and slightly inclining 

 to yellow ; tail dull reddish brown, the shafts of the feathers decidedly 

 reddish ; bill horny ; legs pale horny brown ; iris reddish hazel. 

 Total length 4"3 inches, culmen 0'55, wing 2' 15, tail 1'95, tarsus 

 1-75. 



Ohs. Considerable difference is exhibited in specimens from Bur- 

 mah and Pegu, the back being more reddish brown and the 

 underparts lighter. This is contrary to Mr. Hume's experience 

 (Str. F. iii. p. 118) ; but it is to be noted that Mr. Oates's accouut of 

 the colouring of the soft parts is diiferent from that given by Jerdon 

 and quoted in my description. Mr. Gates writes : — "Theirides are 

 a sickly white ; the eyelids plumbeous ; the bill horny brown ; the 

 inside of the mouth fleshy brown ; legs and feet fleshy horny ; claws 

 yellowish horny." Specimens examined by me from Pegu {Blanford) 

 and Bhamo {Anderso7i) were decidedly brighter yellow than Nepalese 

 examples, and had the gular streaks plainer as well as a certain 

 tinge of rufous on the back, thus approaching the Malayan M. 

 riularia. The pale wings, however, show affinity to the Himalayan 

 bird, of which the Pegu bird is a slightly aberrant form, as far as my 

 experience goes. Mr. Hume has found that the specimens from 

 Southern Tenasserim are the Malayan M. gidaris, though some are 

 intermediate between that species and M. ruhricapdla. 



