MINLA. 355 
low scrub and evergreen forest. T'wo hundred eggs average 20-9 x 
16:1 mm. and the extremes are 23°4x16:0; 22°8x17-0 and 
19°4x 16:0; 21:0x15:0 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 ery 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 Oates 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 Subtamily, is not 
actually crested but the feathers of the crown are very full and 
more or less erectile. 
(377) Minla ignotincta. 
Tue Rep-TAILED MINLA. 
Minla ignotincta Hodgs., Ind. Rey., 1888, p. 33 (Nepal); Blanf. & 
Oates, i, p. 245. 
Vernacular names. MJinla (Nepal); Megblim-ayene (Lepcha). 
Description.— Male. Lhe forehead, crown, nape and middle of 
the upper 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 secapulars 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 inner 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 
yellowish 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 
mandible horny-grey or bluish-greenish-horny; legs and feet 
2Aa2 
