CUTIA. 329 



Habits. This bird is found in the cold weather in small parties 

 of half-a-dozen or so wandering about in the lower growth in 

 forests and scrub but not frequenting the higher trees unless 

 frightened into them. They are cheerful little birds, constantly 

 chatting to one another and, in the Khasia Hills, very bold and 

 confiding, though they are said elsewhere to be shy birds. In the 

 breeding season, however, when they break up into pairs they are 

 much shyer and quieter, though the male may often be seen 

 perched on some bramble, quivering his wings and fluffing out his 

 feathers as he trills his pretty little love- song to his mate nearby. 



(352) Liothrix lutea yunnanensis. 

 THE YUNNAN BED-BILLED LIOTHBIX. 



Liothrix lutea yunnanensis Rothschild, Nov. Zool., xxviii, p. 36(1921) 

 (Shweli-Sahvin Divide). 



Vernacular names. None recorded. 



Description. " Differs from L. I. calipyyus in its larger size, more 

 sharply denned yellowish head and inlhe fact that of eight speci- 

 mens six have the red or yellow on the 7th, 8th and 9th primaries 

 broadly interrupted, while the whole eight have this colour on the 

 first secondary interrupted or entirely absent, while in the other 

 two species it is never broken or it is entirely black." 



Colours of soft parts. " Iris brown : bill orange-red summer, 

 scarlet with black base winter ; legs and feet dark brown." 



Measurements. " Wing rf 72 to 76 mm.; $ 66 mm." (Rothschild). 



Distribution. Yunnan west to the Kachin Hills. Birds ob- 

 tained in Bhamo by Harington seem referable to this race. 



Nidification and Habits. Similar to those of the last bird. 



Genus CUTIA Hodgson, 1836. 



The genus Cutia contains but one species, a very handsome bird 

 remarkable for the great development of the upper tail-coverts, 

 which i-eaeh nearly to the tip of the tail. In Cutia the bill is rather 

 slender, curved, notched and pointed and slightly longer than half 

 the length of the head; the rictal bristles are very short; the nostrils 

 longitudinal and covered by a membrane and the frontal bristles 

 are short and firm. The tail is about two-thirds the length of the 

 wing and slightly rounded. 



(353) Cutia nipalensis nipalensis. 



THE NEPAL CUTIA. 



Cutia nipalensis Hodsfs., J. A. S. B., v, p. 774 (1836) (Nepal) ; Blanf. 

 & Gates, i, p. 222. 



Vernacular names. Khatyn (Nepal) ; Rapnoon or Rapnun-plio 

 (Lepcha). 



