328 TIMAL1ID.E. 



(351) Liothrix lutea callipyga. 

 THE INDIAN EED-BILLED LIOTHHIX. 



Bahila callipyga Hodgs., Ind. Rev., 1838, p. 88 (Nepal). 

 Liothrix lutea. Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 221. 



Vernacular names. Nanachura (Dehra Doou) ; Bapchil-plio 

 (Lepcha) ; Daotisha-buku-c/ajao (Cachari). 



Description. Adult male. The whole upper plumage and sides 

 of the neck olive-green, the forehead and crown tinged with 

 yellow ; middle pair of tail-feathers and the outer webs of the 

 others black, inner webs brown and all tipped white ; the primaries 

 edged with yellow and later on with crimson ; outer secondaries 

 black, with a patch of orange-yellow at the bases of the outer webs ; 

 inner secondaries olive-green tinged with rufous ; lores orange- 

 yellow ; a ring round the eye yellow ; ear-coverts silvery-grey ; 

 a narrow moustachial streak dusky green ; chin and throat bright 

 yellow, turning to deep orange-yellow on the lower throat ; centre 

 of breast and abdomen, the vent and under tail-coverts yellow ; 

 sides of breast and abdomen slaty-green. 



Female differs from the male in having the crimson on the wing 

 replaced by yellow. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris brown or red-brown ; bill brilliant 

 orange-red throughout in summer, blackish at the base in winter ; 

 legs and feet yellowish brown to dark brown. 



Measurements. Total length about 145 to 155 mm. ; wing : 

 males 65 to 71 mm., females 61 to 65 mm. ; tail 55 to 60 mm. ; 

 tarsus about 25 mm. ; culmen 10 to 11 mm. 



Distribution. The Himalayas from Simla to Eastern Assam, the 

 Khasia Hills, Chin Hills and 1S T . Arrakan. 



Nidification. The Bed-billed Liothrix breeds throughout its 

 range between 3,000 and 8,000 feet in almost any kind of forest, 

 pine, evergreen, deciduous, or in secondary growth and heavy scrub- 

 jungle, but it certainly prefers forest of pine or fir with under- 

 growth. Its nest is a neat cup of grass, bamboo and other leaves 

 and moss ; the latter material often forming nearly the whole nest, 

 whilst the lining is of fine roots and tendrils. It is generally placed 

 in a fork, upright or horizontal, or in amongst a few twigs of a bush 

 or bramble, at some height between 2 and 10 feet. It is seldom 

 well hidden and is often very conspicuous. 200 eggs average 

 21-9x16-1 mm. and the extremes are 23'2xl7'0, L'3'0xl7'l, 

 18'9 X 15-2 and 21-4 x 15'0 mm. In colour they vary from almost 

 pure white to pale blue and the markings consist of sparse spots 

 and blotches of reddish brown with others, underlying these, of 

 neutral tint, generally confined to the larger end and often forming 

 an ill-defined zone. The shape is a blunt, broad oval and the 

 texture is close, hard and glossy, often very highly so. 



The breeding season lasts from early April to September but 

 most eggs are laid in May and June. 



