Nidification. Similar to that of occipitalis, but the eggs are 

 quite different. The ground-colour seems always to be a very 

 pale salmon or pink stone-colour and the marks consist of light 

 reddish blotches and freckles over the whole surface, with 

 numerous others underlying them of pale neutral tint. Eggs 

 taken by Col. Bingham and by Messrs. Hopwood, Mackenzie and 

 Haringron were all of this description and I have seen none of 

 occipitalis anything like them. The full clutch numbers three to 

 six. 



The breeding season is March to April in Lower Burma, April 

 and May in Upper Burma. 



Habits. This bird is said to come right down into the plains 

 in winter and even to breed at very low elevations. In Assam 

 and Northern Burma it keeps to the higher ranges and is seldom 

 found below 5,000 feet. 



They are said to keep much to the deciduous forests in Burma, 

 but in Assam haunt rhododendron, oak and mixed evergreen 

 forests. 



Urocissa flavirostris. 



Key to Subspecies. 



A. Under parts a rather dark lilac U. ./. favirostris, p. 43. 



B. Under parts almost pure white U. f. cucullata, p. -14. 



(22) Urocissa flavirostris flavirostris. 

 THE YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE. 



Psilorhinusjlavirost.ris Blyth, J. A.S. B., xv, p. 28(1846) (Darjeelhig). 

 Urocissa jlavirostris. Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 27. 



Vernacular names. Tying-jonyrin<j (Lepclm) ; Pianging-jabring 

 (Bhutea). 



Description. Head, neck and breast black, the nape white and 

 the feathers of the crown tipped white ; back, scapulars, rump 

 and upper tail-coverts purplish ashy, the last tipped black and 

 with a narrow pale band in front of the black ; wing-coverts, the 

 outer webs of the primaries and outer secondaries and the whole 

 of the inner secondaries purplish blue ; all the quills tipped 

 white, the earlier primaries whitish on the terminal half of the 

 outer web ; tail blue with a broad white tip and all but the 

 central pair of feathers with a subterminal black band; lower 

 plumage from the breast downwards lilac tinged with purple. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris bright yellow ; bill pale wax- 

 yellow to a strong wax-yellow; legs and feet bright orange-yellow. 



Measurements. Length about 630 to 650 mm. ; wing from 

 178 to 190 mm. ; tail up to 470 mm. ; culmen about 65 mm. 



The female is similar to the male but generally smaller, wing 

 170 to 180 mm. and the iris is a dull blue-brown. 



