MINLA. 355 



low scrub and evergreen forest. Two hundred eggs average 20-9 x 

 16-1 mm. and the extremes are 23-4 X 16-0; 22-8 x 17-0 and 

 19-4 X 16-0; 210 x150 mm. 



Habits. The Mesias gather together in the cold weather in 

 flocks of considerable size, sometimes as many as twenty, or even 

 thirty, forming a flock. They are not shy birds and -will allow 

 very close observation, flitting about the bushes and lower trees 

 within a few yards of the watcher, constantly uttering a chirrup- 

 ing cry with occasional clear, loud, whistling notes every now and 

 then. They are restless, active little birds and form a wonderful 

 spectacle of bright colour in front of heavy green bushes and 

 undergrowth. 



Genus MINLA Hodgson, 1838. 



The genus Minla, as restricted by Gates and adopted here, 

 contains one Indian bird of pleasing plumage, found on the 

 Himalayas and hill-ranges of Assam. In Minla the bill is 

 slender, curved, notched and pointed and about half the length 

 •of the head ; the tail is as long as the wing and slightly graduated. 

 The head, as in practically all the birds of this Subfamily, is not 

 actually crested but the feathers of the crown are very full and 

 more or less erectile. 



(377) Minla ignotincta. 



The Red-tailed Minla. 



Minla ignotincta Hodgs., Ind. Kev., 1838, p. 33 (Nepal) ; Blanf. & 

 Gates', i, p. 245. 



Vernacular names. Minla (Nepal) ; MeghUm-ayene (Lepcha). 



Description. — Male. Tbe forehead, crown, nape and middle of 

 the u()per neck black ; a very broad, long supercilium white, 

 meeting the opposite one on the upper back ; lores, ear-coverts 

 ■and a band extending nearly to the end of the supercilium black; 

 back, rump and scapulars deep vinaceous ; upper tail-coverts 

 black ; tail black, tipped and edged on the outer webs with 

 •crimson, the two middle tail-feathers with a white streak at the 

 base of the inner webs, the outer feathers suffused with red on 

 the inner webs ; wing-coverts and iniier secondaries red, edged with 

 white, the latter also broadly tipped with white ; primaries and 

 outer secondaries black, edged with crimson on the greater part 

 of the outer webs; the earlier primaries margined with white 

 near the tips, the outer secondaries tipped with white ; chin 

 vellowish white; entire lower plumage yellow, sparingly and 

 narrowly streaked with brown. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris greyish or brownish white ; bill, 

 upper mandible and tip of lower blackish-horny ; rest of lower 

 mandihle hornv-grey or bluish-greenisb-horny ; legs and test 



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