DENDROCITYA. 9) 
black, all the primaries but the first two with a patch of white at 
their base, forming a conspicuous spot; central pair of tail-feathers 
ashy for two-thirds of their length, then black; the others all black 
except their extreme bases, which are ashy ; abdomen 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. ‘l'otal length about 400 mm.; tail from 200 to 
210 mm.; wing from 1382 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 are reddish 
brown and the legs are dill leaden black and the iris blue-brown. 
Distribution. Throughout the Himalayas from the Sutlej 
Valley, through Assam and throughout the Burmese hills as far 
as, but not including, Tenasserim. 
Nidification. The Himalayan Tree-pie breeds during April, 
May 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. rufu 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-pié and I have known it placed in quite low bushes. The 
eges 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 and 
bolder than they are on the eggs of the Common Tree-pie and 
are often confined to the larger end in a ring or cup. Very few 
of its eggs could be 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 de not care 
for the vicinity of villages and houses but otherwise they are 
much like +. rufa in their ways. They are equally noisy but 
not, I think, so musical, and like the rest of the family, are great 
persecutors oi small birds during the breeding season. 
(33) Dendrocitta sinensis assimilis. 
Tue Burmese Hint, TREE-PIE. 
Dendrocitta assimilis Hume, 8. F., v, p. 117 (1877) (Muleyit): 
Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 32. 
Vernacular names. None recorded. 
Description. This subspecies is a rather darker, duller bird 
