ACREDULA. 



on the rump ; quills and tail ashy brown, edged on the outer web very slightly 

 with ashy; outer tail feathers brown, the terminal two-thirds of the outer web 

 and the tip of the inner white ; the next two pairs brown with large triangular 

 white tips, and the three central pairs ashy brown, lighter on the outer webs ; 

 sides of the throat and neck pure white ; under surface of the body ochra- 

 ceous, deepest on the abdomen and flanks. Bill black ; legs fleshy yellow ; iris 

 brown (Jerri.); iris pale yellow or yellowish creamy; feet buffy yellow; claws 

 livid. (Scully,) 



Length. 4 to 4*2 inches ; wing 2*05 ; feail 2 ; tarsus O*6; culmen o'3. 



Hob, Throughout the Himalayas from the far north-west to Bhootan. 

 It is recorded from Murree, Simla, Mussoorie, Nynee Tal, Nepaul, Bhootan 

 and Assam ;. also from? Darjeeling, where Jerdon says it is very common 

 at 7,000 feet of elevation-, and is found up to 1 0,000 feet. It associates in 

 small flocks, frequenting shrubs, hedges and high trees, and lives chiefly 

 on insects. In Burmah Captain Wardlaw-Ramsay obtained it in Karennee 

 at 3,000 feet elevation, and Colonel God win -Austen got it in the Naga hills. 

 It breeds from March to May. The nest is usually placed between several 

 twigs, in low bushes, tufts of grass, banks r or other convenient situation. The 

 nest is in shape a round ball with a small lateral entrance,, and is composed 

 of green mosses, lichen and moss roots, lined with feathers. The eggs are five 

 in number, and, according to Hume, tiny, about 0-53 X 0-45 inch, broad ovals, 

 sometimes almost globular, but generally somewhat compressed towards one 

 end, so as to assume something of a pyriform shape. They are almost 

 entirely glossless, have a pinkish or at times a creamy white ground, and exhibit 

 a conspicuous reddish or purple zone towards the large end, composed o& 

 multitudes of minute spots almost confident and interspaced with a purplish: 

 cloud. 



688. Acredula jOUSCllistOS (Ilodgs^ Gadow; Cat. B. Br. Mus. 

 viii. p. 58. Parus jouschistos, Hodgs in' Grays Zool. Misc. p; 83- (1844)^ 

 id., J. A. S. B. xiii. p. 943 ; Btyth, Cat. B. Br. Mus. As. Soc. p. 104. 

 ^Egithaliscus jouschistos, Cab. Mus. Hein r \. p, 90; Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 271, 

 No. 635. The RUFOUS. FRONTED* TIT-MOUSE. 



Forehead and crown* black, except a broad band of fawn colour which 

 extends from the base of the bill to the nape in the centre of the crown ; 

 sides of the head and neck, ear coverts and the imder wing coverts slightly 

 paler fawn colour. The upper surface of the body ashy, slightly tinged with 

 olive ; the rump a little fulvous ; wing coverts ashy, with a slight tinge o 

 olive ; quills and tail dark brown edged with greyish, the feathers of the latter 

 more or less tipped with, whitish ; under surface of the body deep reddish, 

 fawi* or rufescent. Bill black ; legs yellow brown ; iris brown. 



Length. 4 to 4*25 inches ; wing 2'2 ; tail 2 ; tarsus 0-65 ; culmen 0-34. 



Hab. The Himalayas. Has been found in Nepaul, Darjeeling. and 

 Bhootan. 



