SIVA. 177 



coverts also the axillaries white, the latter tinged with vinous ; ear coverts 

 ashy brown and paler shafted ; cheeks and under surface of the body pale 

 vinoiis. Bill dusky yellow ; legs fleshy ; irides brown. 



Length. 5*5 to 6*2 inches; wing 2-45; tail 2-45; tarsus 0-9; culmen 

 0*65. 



Young and immature birds have not the cyaneous blue tinge on the 

 forehead. 



Hab. The Himalayas, from Nepaul to Bhootan, and also in the hills of 

 Assam and Sikkim. Common near Darjeeling, from 3,000 to 6,000 feet. 

 Found in considerable flocks. Breeds in the central region of Nepaul and in 

 the neighbourhood of Darjeeling during May and June. The nest (Hume 

 quoting Hodgson) is placed in trees at no great elevation above the ground, 

 and is wedged in where three Or four slender twigs make a convenient 

 fork. The nest is large but compact, composed of fine stems of grass, 

 dry leaves, moss and moss roots bound together with pieces of creepers, 

 roots, and vegetable fibres, and lined with fine grass roots. Eggs, from 

 3 to 4, moderately broad ovals, considerably pointed towards the small 

 end, 0*85 in length by 0*6 in width, having a pale greenish ground, pretty 

 thickly spotted and speckled, especially on the broader half of the egg, with a 

 brownish brick-red. 



663. Siva SOrdida, Hume, $tr. F. 1877, p. 104; id. and Dav. Str. 

 F. 1878, p. 37 ; Hume, Str. F. 1879, p. 104 ; Oates, B. Br. Burnt, i. p. 144; 

 Sharpe^ Cat. B . Br. Mus. vii. p. 641. The BURMESE BLUE-WINGED SIVA. 



Forehead, crown and nape, also the back, scapulars, wing coverts and the 

 outer webs of the tertiaries earthy brown, Very slightly paler on the latter ; 

 Upper tail coverts brown, a little rufescent On the rump ; lores and cheeks 

 greyish white ; ear coverts brown with pale mesial streaks ; primaries brown> 

 the outer webs purplish ; secondaries the same, edged and tipped with white ; 

 primary coverts black, edged with purplish ; tail with the two centre feathers 

 brown, washed with purple and narrowly tipped with white ; the exterior 

 feathers and the whole of the inner webs white ; the outer feathers brown, 

 more broadly tipped with white, their outer webs purplish. Entire under 

 surface white; the sides of the throat and breast, the sides and flanks much 

 sullied ; lower mandible, legs and feet whity brown ; irides creamy yellow. 



Length. 6 to 6'2 inches; wing 2*5 to 2 6; tail 27 ; tarsus 0-89; bill from 

 gape 075. 



Hab. The Karennee hills and those of Tenasserim, where it represents 

 Siva cyanuroptera, of which it is what is usually in the present day called 

 a race, differing only from it in wanting the white tip to the winglet, and the 

 upper plumage being more brown. The female, according to Sharpe, is 

 " much duller brown and only slightly brighter on the rilmp, showing none of 

 the bright fulvous-brown of the Himalayan bird. The streaks on the head 

 are scarcely perceptible, and there is no pronounced tinge of blue/' 

 VOL. II. 23 



