TESIA. 463 



hand, the presence of: rictal bristles might induce some ornitho- 

 logists to place the genus in a family by itself, leading from the 

 Troglodytidce to the Short-winged Chats, Brachypteryginw. 



In Tesia the bill is equal to or rather more than halt' the length 

 of the head, broad at the base and compressed at the tip. The 

 wings are very short and rounded, the tail so short as to be 

 invisible and the tarsi and feet very long. The male and female 

 are alike but the young differ considerably from the adult though 

 they are not spotted or barred as in the Shortwiugs or paler than 

 the adult as in Timaliidce. 



Key to Species. 



A. Crown golden-brown T. cyaniventer, p. 463. 



13. Crown bright chestnut T. castaneocoronata, p. 465. 



IB 



^WlmT*/mV^ 



Fig. 92. Head of T. c. cyaniventer. 



(475) Tesia cyaniventer cyaniventer. 



;THE SLATY-BELLIED WEEN. 



Tesia cyaniventer Hodgson, J. A. S. R, vi, p. 101 (1837) (Nepal). 

 Tesia cyaniventris. Blanf . & Gates, i, p. 192. 



Vernacular names. Tisi (Nepal) ; Samtit-tammony (Lepcha) ; 

 Ting-linrui bermai-ga (Kacha Naga). 



Description. The forehead, chin and nape glistening golden 

 olive-brown, the yellow more pronounced at the sides of the 

 crown where it forms a fairly definite supercilium ; the rest of 

 the upper plumage and the visible portions of the closed wings 

 nnd tail olive-green; lores and abroad stripe from the lores to 

 the nape black ; sides of the head and whole lower plumage slaty- 

 blue. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris brown, sometimes, according to 

 Cockburn, vermilion; bill above and on the tip of the lower 

 mandible dark brown, the remainder pale horny, often yellowish 

 or tinged with orange; legs and feet pale fleshy to pale dull 

 fleshy-brown. 



Measurements. Length about 100 mm. ; wing about 44 to 

 47 mm.; tail about 20 mm.; tarsus 24 mm.; culmen 11 to 

 12 mm. 



The adult female is similar to the male and does not differ as 

 described by Gates. 



The young bird has the whole upper plumage rather rufescent- 

 green and the lower parts dull, dark olive-green. The black line 



