LELOPTILA. 299 
Measurements. Total length about 235 to 245 mm.; wing 92 to 
97 mm.; tail about 130 to 140 mm.; tarsus about 30 mm.; culmen 
about 20 mm. 
Distribution. Hills South of-the Brahmaputra, Manipur and 
Chin Hiils. 
Nidification. This bird breeds freely in the Khasia Hills, where 
it is common between 4,000 and 6,000 feet. In the early sixties 
Godwin-Austen took its nest in the Umiam Valley and the next 
nest was taken by myself in 1905 in the same spot; since then 
many nests have been taken, all in pine-trees and all built in the 
thick tufts at the ends of branches. They are made of green moss 
and lined with roots and are rather massive and well-built cups. 
The eggs are generally two only in number, sometimes three and 
very rarely four. la appearance they are very like weakly coloured 
Blackbirds’ eggs, pale greyish or greenish blue, lightly freckled and 
blotched all over with pale reddish; a few eggs appreach the 
Actinodura type of egg with bolder markings and spots. Sixty 
eges average 23°9X17-7mm. The breeding season lasts from the 
middle of May to July and the birds may be found during these 
months anywhere between 4,000 feet and the bighest peaks. 
Habits. The Grey Sibia is essentially a bird of pine-forests, 
outside of which it is but rarely met with except in the cold 
weather months, when it wanders down to about 3,000 feet in any 
kind of tree-forest. It flies fairly well, haunting the tops of the 
pines in small flocks or pairs, working the branches for insects as 
assiduously as other species of this family. Its call is a fine, clear 
treble note but if has many others of a conversational character 
though it is not a noisy bird. 
(314) Leioptila melanoleuca melanoleuca. 
TICKELL’S SIBIA. 
Sibia melanoleuca Tickell, Blyth, J. A.S.B., xxviii, p. 415 (1859) 
(Muleyit Mt.). 
Lioptila melanoleuca. Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 198. 
Vernacular names. None recorded. 
Description. Ear-coverts very dark brown; forehead, crown, 
nape and rest of the sides of the head black; back, scapulars, 
lesser and median wing-coverts, rump and upper tail-coverts 
chocolate-brown, tinged with ashy on the two latter parts ; wing- 
quills and greater coverts black; tail dark brown, the outer webs 
edged black and all the feathers tipped with white; entire lower 
plumage white. 
Colours of soft parts. Iris lake; bill black: legs and feet dark 
reddish-brown to dark purplish-brown or brownish black (ume 
& Dav.). 
Measurements. Length about 220 mm. ; wing 87 to90 mm.; tail 
about 120 mm.; tarsus about 28 mm.; culmen about 17 mm. 
