SFTHORA. 113 



lined with finer grass and a few horse-hairs ; measuring about 

 4" x 3|" outside and 2" x 2" inside." The nests were all 

 extremely well concealed and were only discovered by carefully 

 watching the birds. They were placed in clumps of reeds or 

 grass, or in thick bushes and tangles of creepers, in each case 

 quite low down, less than three feet from the ground. 



The eggs number 2 to 4, the former number having been taken 

 much incubated, but' 3 is the usual full clutch. In colour they 

 are a ratherdeep, unspotted hedge-sparrows' egg-blue and in shape 

 broad ovals, very little compressed at the smaller end. Twenty- 

 four eggs average 16'3 x 12-8 mm. 



The breeding season is from the end of April to early June. 



Habits. Anderson's Suthora keeps principally to reed and 

 grass cover, where they creep about but seldom fly. As they 

 hunt for insects they keep up a continuous twittering, and they 

 are more often heard than seen. 



(100) Suthora fulvifrons fulvifrons. 



THE FULVOUS-FRONTED SUTHORA. 



Temnoris fulvifrons Hodgs., P. Z.S., xiii, p. 31 (1845) (Nepal). 

 Suthora fulvifrons. Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 66. 



Vernacular names. Xone recorded. 



', Description. Forehead, middle portion of the crown, a very short 

 supercilium, cheeks, chin, throat, breast, sides of the neck and the 

 under tail-coverts bright fulvous ; a broad band from the lores 

 over the eye to the nape, the back, rump and lesser wing-coverts 

 olive- yellow ; upper tail-coverts fulvous ; greater wing-coverts 

 edged with chestnut ; quills with the outer webs chestnut, hoary 

 on the basal halves of the primaries ; tail blackish, the outer webs 

 more or less bright chestnut except at the tips ; abdomen deep 



grey. 



Colours of soft parts. Irides brown ; bill pale fleshy yellow, 

 horny above; legs fleshy brown. 



Measurements. Total length about 150 mm. ; wing about 

 54 to 56 mm. ; tail about 66 mm. ; culmen about 5 mm. ; tarsus 

 about 20 to 22 mm. 



Distribution. Nepal and Sikkim. 



Nidification and Habits. Practically nothing known. Masson 

 found it breeding on the Singlo Eidge about 8,500 feet, but failed 

 to find the nest. This was in May. It probably keeps to high 

 elevations and dense forest in which it is not easily observed. 



