LEIOPTILA. 297 
Description. Forehead, crown, crest, nape and sides of the 
head black, the ear-coverts sometimes dark brown; the whole 
lower plumage, rump and upper tail-coverts and a broad collar 
round the neck deep bright rufous; back and scapulars greyish- 
brown: median tail-feathers rufous for three-quarters of their 
length, then with a dark band and a bluish tip; in the other feathers 
the rufous portion rapidly diminishes and the black increases ; 
lower wing-coverts rufous ; primary-coverts black ; greater coverts 
white at base, forming a broad band, the exterior feathers blue 
tipped with black, the others tipped with rufous ; inner secondaries 
chestnut edged with blue; the other quills dark brown, the 
primaries with the outer webs pale blue, the outer secondaries 
dark blue. 
Fig. 55.—Head of ZL. c. capistrata. 
Colours of soft parts. Iris reddish-brown to brilliant crimson, 
perhaps according to age; bill black; legs fleshy-grey to purplish- 
brown, claws horny-brown. 
Measurements. Total length about 220 to 230 mm.; wing 91 to 
96mm.; tail about 100 mm.; tarsus about 30 mm.; culmen about 
20 mm. 
Distribution. Eastern Himalayas, Naini-tal to Datla Hills. 
Nidification. The Black-headed Sibia breeds during May and 
June at elevations between 5,000 and 7,000 feet, making a very 
compact, deep cup of moss, sometimes mixed more or less with scraps 
of dead leaf, lichen, ete. Between the outer nest and the true 
lining of fine roots and fern-rachides is an inner lining of soft grass 
and shreds of fibre and leaves. The nest is very hard to locate, as 
it is generally high up in pine-, fir-, or deodar-trees in the bushy 
extremities of the outer branches. The eggs are generally two, 
more rarely three, and are pale blue in ground-colour with 
splashes, smears and blotches of pale and dark brownish-red with 
a few spots and hair-lines of very dark red-black. The shell is 
fine but not glossed, they are fragile eggs for their size and in 
shape they are rather broad blunt ovals. They measure about 
24-1 X19°1 mm. 
Habits. This Sibia is found in flocks, often of some size, in 
tree-forest between 5,000 and 8,000 feet elevation, wandering a 
good deal lower in the cold weather. They are entirely arboreal 
