LOPHOPHANES. 85 



\ 



Description. Cheeks, ear-covers, sides of the neck and a large 

 nuchal spot white, remainder of head and neck dark brown or 

 blackish, but more the deep black of melanoloplms ; upper plumage 

 olive-brown ; the wings and tail brown, with bluish-ashy edges 

 and the upper tail-coverts tipped with fulvous; lower plumage 

 and under wing- coverts ferruginous. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris dark brown ; bill black ; legs and 

 feet plumbeous-brown. 



Measurements. Total length about 115 mm. ; wing 60 to63 mm. ; 

 tail about 42 to 43 mm. ; tarsus about 18 mm. ; culmen about 8 mm. 



Distribution. Nepal and *NYW. Himalayas." The latter 

 locality is given for some specimens in the Piawill Collection, 

 and may refer to Kuniaon. 



Nidification and Habits. Nothing recorded. 



Lophophanes rufonuchalis, 



Key to Subspecies. 



A. Upper and lower breast black aad abdomen [nuchalis, p. 85. 



ashy olive L. rufonuchalis rufo- 



B. Upper breast black ; lower breast aud abdo- 



men ashy olive L. r. beavani, p. 86. 



(66) Lophophanes rufonuchalis rufonuchalis. 

 THE SIMLA BLA.CK-TIT. 



Parus rufonuchalis Blyth, J. A. S. B., xv iii, p. 810 (1849) (Simla). 

 Lophophanes rufonuchalis. Blauf. & Gates, i. p. 58. 



Vernacular names. None recorded. 



Description. Ear-coverts, under the eye and a stripe down the 

 neck white ; remainder of head and neck, breast and a broad band 

 down the abdomen black ; nuchal spot white, tinged with ferru- 

 ginous next the back; upper plumage olive-green ; lower abdomen 

 and sides of the body ashy-olive ; under tail-coverts and axillaries 

 chestnut ; under wing-coverts pale fulvous. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris dark brown ; legs, feet aud bill black. 



Measurements. Length about 130 mm.; wing 73 to 77 mm.; tail 

 about 55 mm. ; tarsus nearly 20 mm. ; culmen about 10 mm. 



The young have the black replaced with brown and the chestnut 

 with pale rufous. 



Distribution. Turkestan and Afghanistan aud N.W. Himalayas 

 to Garhwal. 



Nidification. Mr. L. L. Whvmper is the only collector who has 

 ever found this bird's nest. He writes : 



"I found this bird fairly common at 10,000 feet and upwards 

 in the Bhaghirattie A r alley, where Brooks got a nest with young 



