and then showing its bright golden breast against an olive-green 
colour ; its prominent red-bill can hardly be overlooked. In size 
it is 64 inches. It has a pretty warbling call, which is not in- 
frequently directed to its mate, which is at no great distance from 
it. Most birds in the district possess three or four different calls 
and, warbles it may be, according to season of the year ; or perhaps 
in what frame of mind, the bird, finds itself ; a call to its mate ; 
a warble or song to its sweetheart (no other than its mate) ; an 
angry outburst of “bad words” to an enemy or when its temper 
is a bit ruffled; and possibly a fourth in spring of the year or 
when the rains are drawing to a close, and bright sunshine reappears. 
When cold weather is approaching Listhrix’s voice changes, spring 
tunes many a minstrel whose sweetest notes are reserved for Halcyon 
days. On the whole luteus is shy and seldom comes out into the 
open. I have seen this species, as far up as Tongloo, so that it 
evidently prefers high altitudes to warm valleys below Darjeeling. 
It might be said, that the prevailing colour of this species is olive- 
green ; ear-coverts dusky-green ; plumage, beneath, is dark yellow, 
deep golden colour on the breast, and pale towards under tail-coverts ; 
primaries and part of the secondaries deep yellow ; a sanguineous 
coloured bar on the wings ; tail is black ; bill coral red ; remaining 
portions of the plumage olive-green. 
(615) LEIOTHRIX ARGENTAURIS, Silver-eared Hill-Tit, is a rarer 
bird than last species and only occasionally seen in Darjeeling. It 
prefers a lower elevation than luteus. I found Argentauris, also, 
in Sikkim, at about 6,000 feet in the district. These birds are 
usually found in small parties, associating at times with luteus. They 
. ee . . 
seem to revel in dense undergrowth ~— thutni” as hillmen call, the 
plant, a sort of straggling wild rhubarb bush, which in the younger 
days of Darjeeling supplied a rich feast both for birds and men, the 
former going for the ripe berries and the latter, tender shoots and 
stems, which when peeled go well with a little country sugar or salt. 
Several birds are very found of ripe fhufni fruit, Sibias, Hill-Tits, 
Flowerpeckers, etc. These thutni jungles, used to supply a rich 
field for Ornithologists, but they are fast disappearing. Argentauris 
is a prettily coloured bird much more strikingly marked than the 
former species. No ditticulty need be experienced in making the 
acquaintance of either of these well-known Liothrices. Argentauris 
presents many distinguishing marks, as it hops and flutters about 
among dense branches of bushes, slowly, as though making its way, 
as it feeds, towards the top where it, usually, rests its limbs, as it 
were, for a minute or two and warbles a loud far-reaching, cheerful 
outburst. Whilst it is in the dark seclusion of the bushes it 
appears like a bush-chat, as it enters the better lit up portions, 
ample opportunities are offered of admiring its beautiful and harmo- 
