MINLA, 



Above olive brown, also the lesser and median wing coverts, margins of the 

 greater series of coverts, all the innermost secondaries, and outer edges of the 

 quills ; primary coverts black ; quills dusky brown on their inner webs ; 

 primaries margined with orange or deep rusty, the first two outermost with 

 grey at the base ; outermost secondaries orange or deep rusty at their base ; 

 upper tail coverts and tail dull slaty grey, the inner webs of the latter dusky ; 

 forehead and crown to nape deep chestnut, the fore part centred with white 

 and the crown with reddish buff; hind-neck washed with chestnut and streaked 

 with fulvous ; ear coverts white streaked with dusky or dark brown ; lores, 

 feathers round and below the eye, throat, foreneck and centre of body yellowish 

 white, purer white on the abdomen and under tail coverts ; eyelid, a broad 

 supercilium extending to the nape ; the axillaries and under wing coverts white, 

 the latter tinged with yellowish ; a broad stripe above the ear coverts and a 

 spot in front of the eye black ; cheeks yellowish buff, streaked with black and 

 washed with olive brown ; sides of neck olive brown mottled with white ; sides 

 of body and flanks also the thighs olive brown, the feathers of the latter with 

 pale tips. Bill dusky brown ; legs fleshy ; iris brown. 



Length. 4/15 to 5 inches ; wing 2-2 to 2*25 ; tail 1*7 to r8 ; tarsus O'8 ; 

 culmen 0*45. 



Hab. South-East Himalayas from Nepaul to Sikkim, extending also to 

 the Khasia Hills. Jerdon says it is common about Darjeeling. It breeds in 

 the neighbourhood during May and June, laying four eggs. According to 

 Hodgson's figures (Hume), the eggs are somewhat elongated ovals, having a 

 very pale greenish yellow or dingy yellowish white ground, finely speckled, 

 chiefly at the large end, where there is a tendency to form a zone with red or 

 brownish red, and measuring 075 -f 0-52. The nest is said to be placed in 

 a thick bush at a height of about 3 feet from the ground. It is composed 

 chiefly of twigs, grasses and moss roots, lined with leaves. 



637- Minla brunneicauda, Skarpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. \\\. 



p. 609. Minla castaneiceps, (non Hodgs.), Wald. in Blyths Burm. p. HO; 

 Hume and Dav. y Sir. F. 1878, i. p. 372; Hume, Sir. F. 1880, p. 104; 

 Oates, B. Brit. Burm. i. p. 146. The BROWN-TAILED HILL-TIT. 



Similar to M. castaneiceps, but distinguished by its olive brown tail. The 

 wing is much duller in colour, being externally orange brown like the wing 

 coverts, without the brilliant orange aspect of the above named species 

 (Sharpe) ; " legs, feet and claws pale greenish brown. Bill dark brown ; base 

 of lower mandible plumbeous ; irides deep brown." (Davison.) 



Length. 4^5 inches; wing 2'2; tail 1*7 ; tarsus 0-9; culmen 0*5. 



Hab. Replaces the foregoing species in the Khasia Hills, probably extend- 

 ing into Tenasserim. (Sharpe.) 



