UROC1SSA. Z< 



Length up to 28 ; tail up to 19 ; wing 8 ; tarsus 1-9 ; bill from 

 gape 1-8. 



In the 4 Birds of Burmah ' I entered fully into the question of the 

 identity of U. maynirostris with U. occipitalis, and it is not neces- 

 sary no\v to discuss the subject again. 



Distribution. The Himalayas from the Sutlej valley to Nepal. 

 I can find no evidence of this bird's occurrence in Sikhim, Bhutan, or 

 Assam; but it reappears in the Naga hills, about Bhamo, in Arrakan 

 and generally throughout Burma in suitable localities down to Te- 

 nasserim. It also extends into SUm. In the Himalayas and the 

 hill-ranges of Eastern Bengal it is found at an elevation of 5000 feet 

 and higher, but in Burma it occurs at the level of the sea or not 

 much above it. It is a permanent resident throughout its range. 



Habits, $c. This Magpie is found in small parties of from three 

 to six individuals. It breeds from March to July according to locality, 

 constructing a solid cup- shaped nest of twigs and branches in trees 

 at all heights from the ground. The eggs, three to five in number, 

 are like those of Pica rustica in colour and they measure about 

 1-3 by -95. 



In Burma this Magpie affects the dry forests which occupy large 

 tracts of country in the plains, and not the moister or evergreen 

 forests of the hills. 



13. Urocissa flavirostris. The Yellow-billed Blue Magpie. 



Psilorhinus flavirostris, Blyfh, J. A. S. B. xv, p. 28 (1846) j id. Cat. 



p. 93. 

 Urocissa flavirostris (Bl.), Horsf. 8f M. Cat. ii, p. 578 ; Jerd. B. I. 



ii, p. 310 j Hume $ Renders. Lah. to York. p. 242 j Hume, N. $ 



E. p. 419 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. iii, p. 72 ; Hume, Cat. no. 672 ; 



Scully, S. F. viii, p. 328 ; Gates in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. i, p. 16. 

 Urocissa cucullata, Gould, B. Asia, v, pi. 51 (1861). 

 Tying -jongring, Lepch. ; Pianging-jabbriny, Bhut. 



Coloration. Head, neck, and breast black, the nape white and the 

 feathers of the crown tipped white ; back, scapulars, rump, and 

 upper tail-coverts purplish ashy, the last tipped black and with 

 a narrow pale band in front of the black; wing-coverts, the 

 outer web of the primaries and secondaries and the whole of the 

 tertiaries purplish blue ; all the quills tipped white, the earlier 

 primaries whitish on the terminal half of the outer web ; tail blue, 

 with a broad white tip and all but the central pair of feathers with 

 a subterminal black band ; lower plumage, from the breast down- 

 wards, white tinged with purple. 



Bill pale waxy yellow ; iris (in male only) bright yellow ; feet 

 bright orange-yellow (Scully}. 



Length about 26 ; tail up to 18 ; wing 7*4 ; tarsus 1'8 ; bill from 

 gape I'd. 



Distribution. The Himalayas from Ladak and Hazara to Bhutan 

 at elevations of from 6000 to 10,000 feet. 



