PAR0S. 75 



and ear-coverts white ; the upper part of the back next the nape 

 white; remainder of back, rump, scapulars, lower and median 

 coverts ashy grey ; winglet and greater coverts black, edged with 

 ashy grey and the latter broadly tipped with white ; quills dark 

 brown, the earlier primaries and inner secondaries edged with white, 

 the other quills with ashy grey ; upper tail-coverts deep ashy 

 blue : tail black, the four median pairs of feathers ashy grey on the 

 outer webs and all but the middle two pairs tipped with white ; 

 fifth pair white, with the shaft black and a band of black on the 

 inner web; outer pair neai-ly entirely white with black shafts; 

 sides of the breast and abdomen vinaceous ; under tail-coverts 

 black in the centre, white at the sides. 



Fig. 20. Head of P. m. cinereus. 



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

 plumbeous. 



Measurements. Total length about 140 mm.; wing 60 to 68 mm. ; 

 tail 53 to 61 ram. ; tarsus about 15 mm. ; culmen about 10 mm. 



The young of this and all the allied grey forms have a tinge of 

 yellow on the lower parts and generally a good deal of green on 

 the upper. 



Distribution. Northern India, Assam, Western Burma to 

 Sunda Island and Java. 



Nidincation. Breeds throughout its range but at different 

 times in different localities from March to June. The nest is 

 placed in a hole of a tree, wall or, more rarely, in a bank and 

 consists of a pad of moss, hair, wool or fur : occasionally with 

 some vegetable cotton and feathers. Wickhain reports that it 

 took readily to nest-boxes placed low down on trunks of trees in 

 his garden at Maymyo. The eggs, four to six in number in 

 India, three or four only in Burma, are white or very pale pink 

 with spots and specks of reddish brown. They average about 

 17-0x13-3 mm. 



Habits. Though not gregarious in the strict sense of the term, 

 these little birds are very sociable and may often be seen con- 

 sorting in small parties in favourite feeding-haunts. They are 

 restless, active little birds, clambering about branches and twigs 

 in their search for insects, now hanging head downmost to reach 

 some tempting morsel below, now standing on tip-toe to get to 

 one above them and then once more scuttling round to catch 

 some quickly moving ant or spider. They feed on all kinds o 



