250 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



and flowers of shrubs and trees, and explore opening buds so 

 diligently that they niii!,ht lie termed laul-liunters. Their frontal 

 plumes are in consequence frequeiuly agglutinated by the pollen 

 and viscid juices of plants and trees. They make half pensile or 

 semi-globular nests, well compacted, at a moderate height in leafy 

 trees and shrubs." 



All the species dwell in forests, and, as far as we know, are 

 peculiar to tne Himalayas and the neighbouring hills in Assam. 

 They are monticolous, never being found in the plains, and most 

 of them are very brightly coloured. In their habits they may be 

 said much to resemble the Tit-mice. The plumage is soft, puffy, 

 and more or less decomposed. The young, in those which I have 

 observed, closely resemble their parents. 



Gen. Leiothrix, Swainson. 



Syn. Bnliila and Mesia, Hodgs. — Furcaria, Lesson. 



Char. — Bill short, strong, wide at the base, compressed at the 

 tip, which is bent over, and slightly notched ; culmen moderately 

 curved; a few long rictal bristles; tail slightly forked, 4th quill 

 very little shorter than the 5th and 6th. 



614. Leiothrix luteus, Scopoli. 



Sylvia, apud Scopoli — Blyth, Cat. 509— Horsf., Cat. 585 — 

 Parus furcatus, Tkmm., pi. coL 287, f. 1 — Gould, Birds of 

 Asia, pi. — Bahila calipyga, Hodgson, postea Calipyga furcata— 

 Nanachura, of the Dehra Dhoon — Rapckil-pho, Lepch. 



The Hed-billed Hill-tit. 

 Descr. — Above and flanks olive-green, tinged with yellowish on 

 the crown ; lores pale yellow, and a dark line from the base of 

 the lower mandible to the ear-coverts, which are somewhat dusky- 

 green; orbitar feathers whitish; beneath, dark yellow, deepest on 

 the breast, and passing to pale yellowish towards the vent ; outer 

 margin of all the primaries, and the base of the secondaries, deep 

 yellow ; the last three primaries edged with sanguine towards the 

 tip, forming a conspicuous baron the wings; the rest of the alars, 

 and the tail black, the inner webs of the tail-feathers being dark 

 slaty. 



