OL1GURA, 157 



Length. 3*5 to 375 inches; wing 1-9 ; tail 0*95 ; tarsus 0-85 ; culmen 0-55. 



Hab. Eastern Himalayas, Nepaul and Sikkim, at about from 3,000 to 

 6,000 feet of elevation. Jerdon says he saw it on the banks of the Rungbee 

 solitary, flying near the ground among some low brushwood. He found 

 remains of insects in its stomach. A nest was brought to him said to be of 

 this species. It was composed chiefly of moss, and contained four small 

 white eggs. Mr. Hume, however, is inclined to the belief that the nests and 

 eggs belonged to Anura pusillus. Hodgson's note* and figures of the Chest- 

 nut-headed Wren is to the effect that it builds a large globular nest, more or less 

 egg-shaped, some 6 inches high and 4 in breadth, and that the nest was com- 

 posed of moss roots and fibres, and lined with feathers, with a circular aper- 

 ture in the middle of one side. The nest is said to be placed in some clumps 

 of shoots or thick bush, at a height of I or 2 feet from the ground. It nidifi- 

 cates in April and May, laying 3 or 4 eggs, which are figured as moderately 

 broad ovals, somewhat pointed at one end, reddish, and measuring O'66 

 X 0^48 inch. Mr. Hume (in Nests and Eggs), says the three eggs in his 

 museum, supposed to belong to this species, are excessively tiny, and a 

 somewhat long oval of a pure dull glossless, unspotted white. 



634. Oligura cyaniventris (ffodgs.), Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. 



vii. p. 604. Tesia cyaniventer, Hodgson, J. A. S. B. vi. p. 101 (1837); 

 Jerd., B. Ind. i. p. 487 ; Godw.-Ausf., J. A. S. B. xxxix. p. IOI ; Hume, 

 Sir. F. 1879, p. 93. The SLATY-BELLIED WREN. 



Above dark olive greenish, the outer webs of the wing coverts and quills 

 edged with the same ; under wing coverts and tail dull green ; head golden 

 greenish yellow ; lores, sides of the face and sides of the neck dark slaty 

 blue, darker above the eye and ear coverts ; tinder surface of the body slaty blue, 

 paler along the centre of the abdomen ; thighs olive greenish. Bill dusky 

 above, reddish beneath ; legs pale reddish brown ; irides brown. 



Immature birds have the heads greenish without any golden colouring. 



Length. 3-5 to 37 inches ; wing 2'05 ; tail 0*65 to 0*9; wing 2 to 2*05 ; 

 tarsus o'9 ; culmen 0*55. 



Hab. The Eastern Himalayas and hills of N.-E. Bengal. It is recorded 

 also from the Khasia Hills, Sikkim and Assam. According to Hodgson the 

 Slaty-bellied Wren breeds during April and May. The nest is of the same 

 shape as that of the preceding. Eggs are 3 4 in number. They are figured 

 as rather broad ovals, somewhat pointed towards one end with a whitish 

 ground profusely speckled and spotted with bright red, especially towards the 

 large end, where the markings are nearly confluent. The legs measure 

 072 x 0*54 inch. 



Gen. Minla- Hodgs. 



Bill more lengthened than Oligura, very slightly curved, depressed at the 

 base, the tip strongly notched ; rictus nearly smooth ; tail short, rounded ; 



