PSITTIPARUS. a7 
(105) Psittiparus ruficeps bakeri. 
Baker’s Parror- Bin. 
Sceorhynchus ruficeps bakert Wartert, Noy. Zool., vii, p. 548 (1900) 
(Hungrum, N. Cachar). 
Vernacular names. Daomcogasha gajao (Cachari); Jido-riw 
Ingaoria (Naga); Vohtéra (Mikir). 
Description. Differs from the Red-headed Parrot-Billin having 
the under parts tinged everywhere with buff and in being a little 
larger. 
Measurements. Wing 90 to 95 mm.; tail about 95 mm.; bill 
from forehead to tip in a straight hne 16 mm., and about 14 mm. 
deep as against 12 mm. in rvficeps. 
Colours of soft parts as in ruficeps, but the bill is a darker 
horny-brown, more especially above, and the legs are generally 
quite a dark slate-blue. 
Distribution. Hills south of the Brahmaputra, Chin Hills, 
Shan States through the hills of Central Burma to Tenasserin. 
Nidification. This Parrot-Bill breeds ay in late May 
and early June, but eggs have been taken from the 15th April to 
the 24th July. The nest is composed of shreds of grass, shreds of 
bamboo leaves and the bark of reeds and bamboos, lined with 
finer grasses and strips of bark and bound together with cobw: ebs. 
In shape it 1s a deep, very well-built cup, externally about 3 to 
4 inches broad and deep, whilst intern ally it is nearly an inch less 
each way. It may sometimes be plac ‘ed in reeds and high oTrass, 
more often in bamboo clumps, but most nests will be taken 
from small saplings and high or low bushes. The height from the 
ground may be anything from 2 to 8 feet. 
The eggs, either two or three in number, rarely four, remind 
one very much of those of the Garden-Warbler. The ground- 
colour is white tinged with green, grey or yellowish, sometimes 
reddish. The markings consist of spots, irregular blotches and 
cloudings of pale sienna-brown, reddish brown and neutral tint ; 
these, never very numerous, are scattered indefinitely over most 
of the larger half of the egg; sometimes they are quite sparse 
and confined to the big end. Forty-five eggs average 21°6 x 
16°7 mm. 
Habits. Baker’s Parrot-Bill is found at all heights between 
2,000 and 5,000 feet, ascending some 1,000 feet higher than 
this in the summer and perhaps 1,000 feet lower in the winter. 
They wander about in parties of a dozen or so, seldom showing 
themselves except momentarily as they clamber through the grass 
or undergrowth. Occasionally they will visit the higher bushes 
and small trees in searching for insects but these they leave at 
once when disturbed. When feeding they utter a constant 
“ chee-chirrup,” but when separated from one another their call is 
