52 



Colours of soft parts. Bill black, legs and feet duller black; iris 

 brown to red-brown. 



Measurements. Length about 475 mm.; tail 250 to 300mm.; 

 wing about 140 to 155 mm.; tarsus about 30mm. and culmen 

 about 25 mm. 



Distribution. Southern India from South Travancore to the 

 "Wynaad. McMaster records a specimen from Chihalda in the 

 Gawilgarh Hills, apparently a straggler only. It keeps principally 

 to the western coast. 



Nidification. Nest and eggs of this bird were taken by Bour- 

 dillon in March and by Mr. J. Stewart from February to May and 

 again in August, and the latter gentleman informs me that they 

 breed twice in the year. The nest is similar to that of the preceding 

 bird and ia placed in small trees and high bushes but it is always 

 built in heavy forest and never near villages. Three eggs only 

 are most often laid but four is not uncommon and sometimes two 

 only are incubated. In general appearance they cannot be 

 separated from those of himalai/ensis, described below. 



Fifty eggs average 28*2 x 20-5 mm. 



Habits. Found from the foot of the hills up to about 5,000 feet, 

 generally below 3,000 feet. The flight, voice and general habits 

 are like those of the Common Indian Tree-pie but this bird is 

 essentially an inhabitant oF heavy forest and shuns the immediate 

 vicinity of mankind. 



Dendrocitta sinensis. 



Key to Subspecies. 



A. Central tail-feathers pale grey, with no 



black tip D. s. sinensis. 



B. Central tail-feathers darker grey, with a 



black tip. 

 . Paler and brighter in colour ; vent 



and centre of abdomen almost white. I), s. hiinalayensis, p. 52. 

 b. Darker and duller in colour ; vent 



and centre of abdomen ashy D. s. assimilis, p. 53. 



(32) Dendrocitta sinensis himalayensis. 

 THE HIMALAYAN TREE-PIE. 



Dendrocitta himalayensis Blyth, Cat., p. 92 (186o) (Himalayas) ; 

 Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 32. 



Vernacular names. Kol-ia-Kak (at Mussoorie) ; Karrio-pho 

 (Xepcha) ; Karriah-ban (Bhutea); Kolc-long-ah (Assam) ; Dao-ka- 

 link (Cachari) ; Inrui-ko-kitik (Naga). 



Description. Forehead, lores and feathers above the eye black; 

 sides of the head, chin and throat dark sooty-brown, fading and 

 spreading over the sides of the neck and breast; crown of the 

 head, nape and upper back ashy ; back and scapulars clear brown- 

 ish buff; rutnu and upper tail-coverts ashy ; wings and their coverts 



