jEGITHALISCUS. 99 



nests are described as being like that of the Red-headed Tit but 

 larger and densely lined with feathers. That first found by 

 Whymper was placed in the fork of a willow about 6 feet from 

 the ground and others as much as 30 feet from it, whilst 

 Osmaston's was in the fork of a cherry-tree, both nest and tree 

 being covei'ed with lichen. The eggs appear to be four in number 

 and are like those of the Red-headed Tit's but more spotted and 

 less zoned with the markings. 



They breed from May to June at elevations of 11,000 feet 

 upwards. 



Eggs sent me by Dodsworth from above Simla measure about 

 14-0 x 10'5 mm. These were taken from nests in small oaks. 



Habits. Osmaston found this bird common in the Tons Valley, 

 and Whymper equally so inG-arhwal at elevations of some 11,000 

 or 12,000 feet. It. seems to haunt both thick and sparse forest 

 equally, and to go about in little parties like the rest of its tribe. 



Whitehead likens its note to the " Wi" of the Goldfinch. 



(85) JEgithaliscus ioschistos, 

 THE RUFOCS-FEONTED TIT. 



Parus ioschistos Hodgs., J. A. S. R, xiii, p. 943 (1844) (Nepal). 

 JEyithaliscm iosc.hvtus. Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 52. 



Vernacular names. None recorded. 



Description. Forehead, a broad band on the middle of the head, 

 tlie sides of the neck and a broad collar on the upper back fawn- 

 colour; lores, under the eye, and a broad band on the side of the 

 crown extending to the upper back and there blending with the 

 band on the other side, black ; ear-coverts blackish in front, 

 rufous behind ; upper plumage, wing-coverts and the edges to 

 the wings and tail ashy olive ; primary-coverts and winglet dark 

 brown ; tail brown, the outer web of the outermost feather white, 

 the next two with some white at the tip ; chin and throat silvery 

 Avhite, with the black bases of the feathers showing through ; the 

 chin and a stripe under the cheek blacker than the other parts ; 

 cheeks and entire lower plumage dark ferruginous. 



Colours of soft parts. Bill black ; legs yellow-brown ; iris 

 brown (Jerdon); iris yellow (Blanford). 



Measurements. Length about 100 mm. ; tail about 55 mm. ; 

 wing about 60 mm. ; culmen about 7 mm.; tarsus about 17 mm. 



Distribution. Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan. 



Nidification and Habits. Very little on record. Blanford 

 found it in Sikkim at 9,000 feet and upwards, and believed that 

 it kept only to the pine-forests. 



H 2 



