180 TIMELIID^v 



3,000 to 6,000 feet, throughout the Himalayas, south, as a rule, of the first . 

 snowy range and eastward of the Sutlej. It also breeds on the hill range, 

 running from Assam to Burmah. The nest is cup-shaped and made of dry 

 leaves an,d moss, bound together with grass an.d roots. It is generally placed 

 in a leafy bush at no great height from the ground. The number of 

 eggs is usually three, and, according to Hume, they vary a good deal in 

 shape and size, but all are more or less long ovals, slightly pointed towards 

 the lesser end. The ground colour is a very- pale delicate greenish blue (some 

 very pure white), pretty boldly blotched or spotted and speckled most thickly 

 towards the large end forming a zone or cap, of various shades of reddish 

 purple and brown, or brownish red. The eggs vary in size from 0*8 1 to 0*95 

 in length and in breadth from o'6 to Q'66. The average of twenty eggs is 

 given as 0-85 x 0*62, 



Gen. Cutia. Sodgs, 



Bill moderately long, strong at the base, higher than broad ; culmen keeled, 

 and curving, once and a half as long as the distance between the front of the 

 eye and nostrils ; nares broad, lunate ; rictus nearly smooth ; wings moderate, 

 falling short of the tail by only a trifle ; first three quills graduated ; 4th and 

 5th longest; tail short, nearly square; tarsus clumsy and strong, almost 

 smooth, not exceeding in length the midtoe and claw ; upper tail coverts long. 



666. Cutia nipalensis, Hodgs., J. A S. B. \. p. 774; id., op tit. 



vi. p. 112; Blytk, J. A. S. B. xi. p. 183 ; Gould; B. Asia, pt. 8 ; Jerd., B. 

 Ind. ii. p. 247, No. 612 ; Wald. in BlytJis B. Burm. p. 109; Bulger^ Ibis, 

 1869, p. 167; War dlaw- Ramsay, Ibis, 1875, p. 352; Walden, t. c. p. 459; 

 Hume and Dav., Sir. F. 1878, i. p. 370; Hume, Str. F. 1879, ? IO 4 J Gates, 

 B. Br. Burm. i. p. 140. The CHESTNUT-BACKED SHRIKE-TIT. 



PLATE at p. 122. 



A broad band enveloping the lores, sides of the [forehead, feathers above 

 and below the eye and the ear coverts, extending round and meeting on 

 the hinder neck black ; crown of the head a,nd nape slaty blue ; a black 

 spot at the base of the lower mandible ; hind neck, back, rump and upper 

 tail coverts bright chestnut ; scapulars ochraceous brown, washed wkh 

 orange ; wing coverts black, the edges glossy black ; quills black, edged 

 externally with slaty grey, broader on the inner secondaries, which are tipped 

 with black ; tips of the primaries with usually a small white spot ; tail black, 

 the outer feathers narrowly edged with white at the tip, and the centre ones 

 orange at the base for more than one-half their length, but this colour is con- 

 cealed by the very long upper tail coverts ; chin, throat, cheeks and under 

 surface of the body white, shaded with yellowish buff on the flanks, lower 

 abdomen and long under tail coverts; sidea of the breast and the flanks boldly 

 barred with black ; under wing and tail coverts white. Bill blackish above, 

 plumbeous below ; legs orange yellow ; iris brown. 



