286 TIMALIID^E. 



(300) Schoeniparus rufigularis. 

 THE KED-THROATED TIT-BABBLEK. 



Minla rufgularis Mandelli, S. F., i, p. 416 (1873) (Bhutan Duars). 

 SchtKniparus rujiyularis. Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 170. 



Vernacular names. None recorded. 



Description. Forehead, crown and nape chestnut, bounded on 

 each side by a black band, the two meeting on the nape ; lores and 

 supercilia white ; upper part of ear-coverts and a patch below the 

 eye blackish ; lower part of ear-coverts rufous, connected together 

 by a broad chestnut band across the throat ; upper plumage, wings 

 and tail olive-green, the outer webs of the feathers of wings and 

 tail suffused with fulvous ; chin, throat and centre of breast 

 and abdomen white; remainder of the lower plumage olivaceous, 

 tinged with rufous on the under tail-coverts. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris reddish brown to lake-brown; bill 

 black ; legs and feet yellowish brown, fleshy-brown or fleshy-livid. 



Measurements. Total length about 140 mm. ; wing 51 to 

 55 mm. ; tail about 50 mm. ; tarsus about 21 to 22 mm. ; culmen 

 about 10 to 11 mm. 



Distribution. Bhutan Duars; Assam North and South of the 

 Brahmaputra, Manipur and Eastern Bengal Hill tracts. 



Nidification. This little Tit-Babbler breeds in great numbers all 

 round the foot-hills of Margherita in E. Assam and probably up 

 to some 3,500 feet. Dr. H. N. Coltart and I took manv nests and 

 had many brought to us, with the birds, from the central ranges. 

 The nest is like that of the dubiiis group but perhaps more moss, 

 roots, fern and bracken are used in its construction. It is always 

 placed on the ground and quite as often in small scrub- and bamboo- 

 jungle as in forest whilst occasionally we found it in small ravines 

 running through tea cultivation. The eggs are similar to those of 

 other birds of the genus but are decidedly greyer and less bold in 

 coloration as a whole. One hundred eggs average 19*5 x 14'7 mm., 

 the extremes being 21/1 X 15'7 mm. and 17'3 X 13'9 mm. 



Habits. Those of the genus, but I think this bird feeds less on 

 the ground than the other species and flies more freely and often 

 without being frightened into doing so. 



Genus PSEUDOMINLA Gates, 1894. 



The generic name Sittipanis being preoccupied Gates renamed 

 his genus as above. This genus contains two species within 

 Indian limits which differ from Schoeniparus in having the tail 

 much shorter than the wing, whilst from Lioparus it differs in 

 having no hairs overhanging the nostrils. 



