94 PABID.E. 



Colours of soft parts. Bill black ; gape fleshy ; iris pale yellow 

 or creamy yellow ; legs buffy yellow ; claws livid (Scully). 



Measurements. Length about 110 mrn. ; wing about 48 to 

 52 mm. ; tarsus about 13 rnm. ; culinen 6 mm. 



Distribution. Himalayas from Chitral to the Mishmi Hills 

 over 5,000 feet, aud in the Miri Hills, according to Stevens, over 

 4,000 feet. 



Nidification. The breeding season of this little Tit commences 

 about the middle of March and continues throughout April and 

 May. The nest is a lovely little ball of moss, mixed with cob- 

 webs, lichen and seed-down and is thickly lined with soft feathers 

 or with feathers and seed-down mixed. About Simla it is often 

 placed at the end of a branch of a deodar, at other times in small 

 oaks and even in bushes and tangles of creeper. The eggs are a 

 very pale pink with a ring of faint red freckles round the larger 

 end, but they vary from almost pure unmarked white to a 

 pink with a dense dark ring of reddish brown. 100 eggs average 

 13-88 x 10-57 mm. The clutch is from three to eight eggs. They 

 breed at heights from 6,000 to 10,000 feet or more. 



Habits. The Eed-headed Tit associates in small flocks, probably 

 merely family parties, frequenting both lofty trees and low bushes 

 and shrubs when hunting for food, which consists almost entirely 

 of insects. It is said, however, to also eat certain fruit and nuts. 

 It is as restless and energetic as the rest of the family, and keeps up 

 a constant rather shrill " tweet " as it flits or scrambles from one 

 branch to another. 



It appears to be a resident wherever found, moving up and 

 down very little with the change of seasons. 



(78) JEgithaliscus concinnus manipurensis. 

 HUME'S EED-HEADED T^T. 



&qit,haliscus manipurensis Hume, S. F., xi, p. 254 (1888) (Manipur) ; 

 JBlauf. & Gates, i, p. 51. 



Vernacular names. None recorded. 



Description. Differs from iredalei in having the eyebrow white 

 and black, instead of pure white ; the pale pectoral baud next the 

 black throat very white and distinct and the lower plumage 

 chestnut, the portion next the pectoral band being brighter than 

 elsewhere. 



Colours of soft parts. Male. Legs and feet warm reddish 

 mahogany brown ; claws darker ; bill black ; irides bright yel- 

 lowish white. 



Female. Legs and feet very pale orange-brown ; bill black ; 

 irides creamy white. 



Measurements as in iredalei, perhaps averaging a trifle smaller; 

 several birds have the wing under 48 mm. 



