DENDROCITTA. ^£> 



Nidification. This bird breeds freely in the N. Cachar, Kbasia 

 and Naga Hills east as far as Lakbimpnr but it seems to be 

 much rarer north of tbe Brahmaputra. I bave not personally 

 found it breeding much below 4,000 feet but the Nagas brought 

 in nests and eggs to Dr. Coltiirt from much lower elevations in 

 Lakhimpur. The nest is a small, neat replica of that of the 

 Himalayan Tree-pie but is much more compact and well put 

 together. 'J'liey are often budt quite low down in scrub-jungle, 

 undergrowth and even in high weeds and small bushes. The 

 breeding season lasts from the end of April into July. 



Tlie eggs also are similar to those of the last bird but are 

 more handsome and nearly always much more profusely marked. 

 They measure about 27*0 x 19-9 mm. 



Habits. The Black-browed Tree-pie is essentially a bird of 

 heavy evergreen forest, tliough it affects the more open glades on 

 the outskirts of these. It goes about in small parties of lialf-a- 

 dozeu or so, and has a very musical note rather like, yet easily 

 distinguishable from, the call of its plains' cousins. Like these 

 birds also it has mauy discordant notes, though it is not nearly as 

 noisy a bird. It does not appear to be a regular egg antl young- 

 l)ird thief, but doubtless despises neither if fate throws them in 

 its way. It eats fruits, seeds and insects but chiefly the last. 

 It is common between 4,000 and 7,000 feet and descends in the 

 winter .still lower, coming into the plains themselves in Eastern 

 Assam but not elsewhere. 



(35) Dendrocitta bayleyi. 



The Andamatst Tree-pie. 



Dendrocitta haijleiji Tytler, J. A. S. B., xxxii, p. 88 (1863) (Anda- 

 maus) ; Blaiif. & Gates, i, p. 34. 



Vernacular names. None recorded. 



Description. The feathers round the base of the bill black ; the 

 remainder of tlie head, neck, upper buck and upper breast 

 dark bluish ashy ; lower back, scapulars and rump pale rufous- 

 olive ; upper tail-coverts bluish ashy ; lower breast rufescent 

 ashy ; abdomen, vent and under tail-coverts chestnut ; tail aud 

 wing black, the latter with a large white patch on the primaries 

 and outer secondaries. 



Colours of soft parts. Bill, legs, feet and claws black, the sides 

 plumbeous grey; iris bright ytUow, in some rich goldm yellow. 

 \Hume.) 



Measurements. Total length about 3oU to 360 mm.; wing 

 mo to 126 mm. ; tail from 180 to 'I'^O ram., generally about 210; 

 tarsus aud bill from about 25 mm. 



Distribution, xludamans only. 



Nidification. Nothing on record, but I have 13 eggs collected 

 for me by a Pathau cuuvict which can all be matched by eggs of 



