158 TlMALIID.i;, 



(143) lanthocincla rufogularis rufogularis. 



The Kufous-chit^ned Laughing-Thrush. 



Icmthocincla ri(fogularis Gould, P. Z. S., 1835, p. -18 (Himalayas, 

 8ikkim) ; Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 86. 



Vernacular names. Narbigivan-pJio (Lepcha). 



Description. Lores pure white ; a large ring of grey round the 

 eye ; ear-coverts wliolly black or tiuged with rufous posteriorly ; 

 forehead and crown black ; clieeks and a large patch under the 

 eye and ear-coverts mingled black and white ; a broad superciliuni 

 reaching to tlie nape, the sides of the neck and the whole upper 

 plumage olive-green, tinged with fulvous and each feather of the 

 hind neck, back and upper rump tipped with a lunate black bar; 

 wing-coverts olive-brown, the larger series broadly tipped with 

 black; primary-coverts dark brown margined with black; winglet 

 ashy, tipped black; eailier primaries hoary on the outer webs, the 

 others with a black patch, increasing in extent whilst the basal 

 portions change to olivaceous ; outer secondaries with the outer 

 webs olive-brown, broadly tipped with black and with a sub-tip 

 white line ; inner secondaries olive-brown on both webs and tipped 

 with black and white ; tail rufescent, with deep rufous tips and 

 black subterminal bands; point of chin rufous, throat white; 

 under tail-coverts deep chestnut ; remaining lower plumage ashy- 

 brown, albescent on the abdomen and each feather, except on the 

 last, spotted with black. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris brown or red-brown ; bill pale yellow- 

 horny, darker at tip; legs dull fleshy-brown ; eyelids and orbital 

 skin bluish. 



Measurements. Length about 225 to 235 mm. ; wing about 

 94 to 97 mm. ; tail about 120 mm. ; tarsus about 34 mm. ; culmen 

 about 24 mm. 



The young have the crown olive-brown, tipped with black ; the 

 whole chin white, and the black bars and spots above and below 

 smaller. 



Distribution. Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and tlie hills North of the 

 Brahmaputra at least as far East as tlie Miri Hills North of 

 Lakhinipur. 



Nidification. Tliis bird breeds very commonly in Sikkim and 

 round about Darjeeling in May, June and July, making a nest of 

 small twigs, many tendrils, a few roots and sometimes a leaf 

 or two, lined with fine roots. In some cases nothing but tendrils 

 are used for the outer part of the nest. It is placed as a rule 

 in a high bush or small tree, less often in a low bush. The eggs 

 number two to four, generally three, and are pure white, not 

 highly glossed, though very smooth and very fragile for their 

 size. In shape thev are long ovals and fifteen eggs average 

 26-2 X 19-4 mm. 



A second brood is sometimes brought up as late as September. 



