352 Ornithological Notes from Burmah, 



1 met with Paradoxornis of two species'^, Cntia nipalensis, Lei- 

 optila annectansf, Braclujpteryx cruralis, Oreocincla mollis- 

 sima, and a Laughing Thrush, which I imagine is Mr. Hume's 

 Gampsorhynchus torquatusX- Among the pine trees I was 

 rather surprised to find Emberiza pusilla. A little lower 

 down I met, for the first time, with the lovely little Broad- 

 bill {Serilophus lunatus) going about in the tops of the trees 

 in small parties. The iris of this ])ird appears to be brown, 

 but when examined in the sunlight is the most brilliant iri- 

 descent green ; the bill is turquoise-blue when freshly killed, 

 but this colour disappears very soon after death. 



In a bamboo-jungle, at 2000 feet, that had run to seed, I 

 came one day upon flocks of Rose Finches, Carpodacus ery- 

 thrinus, feeding upon the seeds ; this was the first time that 

 I had seen this bird,' although we had passed through miles 

 and miles of bamboos. 



These bamboo-seeds are a very fair substitute for rice, as 

 we know from experience — not unlike pearl-barley when 

 cooked; and fortunate it is for the Karens that they are so ; 

 for the whole of their rice-crops this year have been devoured 

 by huge armies of rats. The stories told by the natives of the 

 countless myriads of rats could be easily believed by us, as we 

 came through the country and saw the ravages that had been 

 committed by them . I have sent home specimens of this rat § ; 

 but I think it has already been described by Mr. Blyth. 



Two days' march from the rat-infested country we found 

 ourselves descending the western slope of the Tonghoo hills, 

 where I obtained a specimen of Macropygia assimilis, Hume. 

 The beautiful Irenas had all of a sudden become common, 

 whereas on the eastern slope of the hills I do not think they 

 are found at all. It seems strange that there should be so 

 distinct a line beyond which apparently the Irena cannot ex- 



* P. rujiceps and P. gularis. — W. 



t L. saturata, mihi, diatinguished from L. annecfans by the deep chest- 

 nut colouring of the lower back, ui'opygium, and upper tail-coverts. — W. 



X No species of Gampsorhynchus is contained among the birds which 

 have arrived in England. — W. 



§ Mm robustulus, Blyth ?— VV. 



II A good species, quite distinct from M. rn/iceps of Java. — W. 



