114 PAR ADOXORNITHID.E. 



(101) Suthora ruficeps ruficeps. 



The Eed-heai)ed Suthoea. 



Chleuasicus rnjlceps Blyth, J. A.S.B., xiv, p. 578 (1845) (Sikkim). 

 Suthora ruficeps. Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 67. 



Vernacular names. Chongto-pliejj-j^ho (Lepcha). 



Description. Forehead and crest to hind neck bright chestnut; 

 sides of the head and neck paler ; lower plumage white, tinged 

 with pink on the breast ; upper plumage rufous-brown, deeper on 

 tlie tail and exposed parts of the wings ; shafts of chin-feathers 

 distinctly black. 



Colours of soft parts. Bill creamy or fleshy white or pale 

 hoi-ny ; legs greenish plumbeous ; iris bright red-brown. 



Measurements. Total length about 150 mm. ; wing 75 to 78 mm. ; 

 tail about 80 mm. ; tarsus about 23-5 mm.; culmen about 7'5 nmi. 



Distribution. Sikkim only. 



Nidification unknown. 



Habits. A very rare bird found in Sikkim at 7,000 feet upwards. 

 The habits are probably much the same as those of the next bird. 



(102) Suthora ruficeps atrosuperciliaris. 



The BLACK-niiOWED Stjtiioka. 



Chleuasicus ruficeps var. atrosuperciliaris Godw.-Aust., V. A. S. Beug., 



1877, p. 147 (Sadly a, Assam). 

 Suthora atrisupercilia?-is. Blanl". & Gates, i, p. 67. 



Vernacular names. Dao-mougaslia (Cachari). 



Description. Differs from the last bird in being darker and more 

 richly coloured everywhere and in having a well-defined black 

 eyebro\\'. 



Colours of soft parts. Maxilla fleshy, the culmen and base a 

 little darker and becoming bluish next the forehead, lower mandible 

 pale fleshy, the gonys almost white; irides hght bright brown; 

 legs pale, clear bluish plumbeous, claws paler still. 



Measurements. Total length 145tol50mm.; wing 57to59mm.; 

 tail about 9U mm.; culmen about 10 mm. and fron) gape about 

 12 mm. 



Distribution. From Cachar to Lakhimpur in Assam, south of 

 the Brahmaputra and east of the Dibong in the Abor and Miri 

 Hills, north of the same river and thence eastwards to Yunnan 

 through the Shan States. Godw in-Austen's birds irom Baladhan 

 were undoubtedly of this and not the last race. 



Nidification. The only nest I have seen of this bird was an 

 exact miniature of those of Paradoxornis and Psittiparus. Out- 

 wardly it measured 2'5" x 3" deep and inwardly 2" x 2". It was 

 composed of fine shreds of grass and reed-bark with a liuing of 



