410 Mr. J. D. D. La Touclie on the 



breast are of a much purer grey than iu the female. Young 

 birds have the tail and wings (primaries excepted) washed 

 and edged with green, and have besides a good deal of 

 green on the head and neck. The very young birds have 

 probably the head and neck quite green. 



The soft parts of the only bird (a female) procured during 

 our visit to Kuatun are as follows : — Iris dark brown ; upper 

 mandible blackish ; lower mandible leaden blue ; legs 

 greyish flesh. Total length 4*90 inches. 



62. Pnoepyga pusilla Hodgs. 



This Wren is common about Kuatun. It is, however, 

 seldom seen, hiding in the undergrowth or about the rocks 

 on the banks of the mountain-torrents, whence its curious 

 loud sibilant whistle, consisting of two notes, the first 

 ascending, the next descending, may be heard. Our men 

 told us that the call of the " U Kwei " (Black Devil), as this 

 innocent little bird is called by the natives, is a sure sign of 

 fine weather. We procured specimens on Mount David as 

 high as 6000 feet. One example shot on the 12th April, 1898, 

 has the underparts fulvous. It is a male, with the soft parts 

 coloured as follows: — Iris dark brown; upper mandible 

 blackish; lower mandible dark livid grey; legs greyish 

 brown. Total length 3-6 inches. The stomach contained a 

 tiny centipede and remains of small insects. Another male, 

 with normal underparts, shot on the 19th April, 1898, mea- 

 sured in total length 3-65 inches. Its soft parts are similarly 

 coloured, except that the whole bill is purplish black and 

 the claws are paler. The gape is noted on the label as being 

 flesh-coloured. 



Three nests were discovered during our stay at Kuatun. 

 One was reported to be building on the 14th April, but on 

 a subsequent visit it was found to have been deserted. The 

 second was shown to me on the 18th April. It was in a 

 dark rocky nook near the stream below the village, and was 

 built about 4 ft. from the ground on the perpendicular face 

 of a rock. The aperture faced a little dark cave under the 

 rocks a yard or two off. The brambles and bushes growing 



