PNOEPYGA. 459 
but this sort of nest must be quite abnormal. The height selected 
may be anything between a foot and six feet from the ground. 
The eggs vary from three to five, but four is the full number 
normally laid. They are pure white, glossless and very fragile, 
regular ovals, sometimes a little pointed at the smaller end. 
Highty eggs average 18°6X13:7 mm. and the extremes are: 
maxima, ‘19° 3x 14:4 and 19°0X14.6 mm.; minima, 16°913°9 
and 17°1X13-1 mm. 
Habits. This quaint little tailless bird is a typical Wren in all 
its habits but is even more of a pedestrian and less of a flyer than 
the birds of the genus Troglodytes. It is an inhabitant of wet, ever- 
green forest, loving the vicinity of jungle-streams where it scrambles 
over the mossy boulders, the fallen trees and decaying vegetation. 
In and out of the hollows and crevices, under and through the 
luxuriant moss and climbing plants, ever on the move yet never 
on the wing, at the first hint of danger it dodges out of sight, only 
to reappear once again when quiet is restored. It is inseetivorous 
in its diet and seems especially fond of the smaller spiders and ants, 
pursuing these with great activity and restless energy. Its ordinary 
note is a loud, rather shrill whistle but it attempts a little song 
in the breeding season which rather reminds one of the English 
Wren. 
This Wren is found up to at least 9,000 feet and possibly a good 
deal higher in Sikkim. In winter it occasionally may be found as 
low as 3,000 feet but it does not descend much below its ordinary 
breeding range, even in the coldest weather. 
Pnoepyga pusilla. 
This species has been spht up into numerous races on rather 
slender reasons, for the variations are, for the most part, indi- 
vidual ratherthan geographical. The two points most usually dwelt 
upon are the amount of spotting and barring, more especially on 
wing-coverts and innermost secondaries, and the rufous or brown 
colouring on the sides of the head. The extremes of both these 
features are to be found in birds obtained in Nepal and Sikkim, 
now in the British Museum Collection, and the greatest care 
should be exercised when naming subspecies that not only the 
series named is a full one but that ample material for comparison 
is available. With more material it is possible that some of the 
subspecies at present accepted will have to be suppressed. 
(472) Pnoepyga pusilla pusilla. 
Tur Brown WREN. 
Pnoepyga pusilla Hodgs., P. Z.8., 1845, p. 25 (Nepal); Blanf. & Oates, 
1, p. 343. 
Vernacular names. Jnrui-ba gajeba (Kacha Naga). 
