DEXDROCITTA. •J-i 



black, all the primaries but the first two with a patch of white at 

 tlieir base, forming a conspicuous spot; central pair of tail-leathers 

 ashy for two-thirds of their length, theu black; the others all Wack 

 except their extreme bases, which are ashy ; abdomeu and flanks 

 cinereous; thighs brown; vent and under tail-coverts chestnut. 



Colours of soft parts. Bill black ; irides reddish brown ; feet 

 brownish black, claws horny black. 



Measurements. Total length about 400 nnu. ; tail from 200 to 

 210 mm. ; wing from 132 to 140 mm. ; tarsus about 30 mm. ; 

 culmen about 32 mm. 



The young are paler and duller, the feathers of the upper part 

 are tipped with buff, the under tail-coverts and vent ai'e reddish 

 brown and the legs are dull leaden black and the iris blue-bro^vn. 



Distribution. Throughout tlie Himalayas from the Siitlej 

 A^alley, through Assam and throughout the Burmese hills as far 

 as, but Jiot including, Tenassei'im. 



Nidification. The Himalayan Tree-pie breeds during April, 

 ]\Jay and June at all heights from the level of the plains to at 

 least 7,000 feet. It makes a nest like that of D. rafa rufa and 

 builds it in similar situations, but selects forest, either light or 

 heavy, well away from habitations for this purpose. The nest is 

 often much smaller and more fragile than that of the Common 

 Tree-pie and I have known it placed in quite low buslies. The 

 eggs number from three to five, the latter number being excep- 

 tional. The ground-colour may be any tint of pale stone, very 

 pale cream or pale reddish, and more rarely pale greenish white. The 

 markings are of pale sienna and grey-brown, darker richer brown, 

 or dark reddish brown ; typically the markings are richer aiul 

 bolder than they are on the eggs of the Common Tree-pie and 

 are often confined to the larger end in a riug or cup. Very lew 

 of its eggs could he confounded with those of that bird. 



Two hundred eggs average 28"8 x 20"1 mm. 



Habits. The Himalayan Tree-pie is found all over the plains of 

 Assam and also in the plains close to the foot-hills of the Dooars 

 and Nepal Terai and ascends everywhere up to 5,000 feet and 

 often considerably higher. They are forest birds and do not care 

 for the vicinity of villages and houses but otherwise they are 

 mucli like r. rufa in their ways. They are equally noisy but 

 not, I think, so musical, and like the rest of the faiuily, are great 

 persecutors of small birds during the breeding season. 



(33) Dendrocitta sinensis assimilis. 

 The Burmese Hill Tree-pie. 



Dendrocitta assimilis Hume, S. F., v, p. 117 (1877) (Muleyit^: 

 Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 32. 



Vernacular names. None recorded. 



Description. This subspecies is a rather darker, duller bird 



