244 CRATEROPODID.E. 



Genus MESIA, Hodgs., 1838. 



The genus Mesia contains two species, one of which is found 

 within our limits. The coloration of the birds of this genus is very 

 pretty. 



In Mesia the bill is stout, about half the length of the head, 

 slightly notched near the tip, and with the culmen curved ; the 

 nostrils are covered by a peculiarly shaped membrane, and the 

 rictal bristles are strong. The head is subcrested ; the wing 

 rounded ; the tail very slightly graduated, and the foot strong. 



257. Mesia argentauris. The Silver-eared Mesia. 



Mesia argentauris, Hodgs. Ind, Rev. 1838, p. 88 ; Hume, N. 4- E. 



p. 392; id. Cat. no. 615; Scully, S. F. viii, p. 318; Sharpe, Cat. 



B. M. vii, p. 642 ; Oates, B. B. i,p. 143 ; Hume, S. F. xi, p. 247 ; 



Gates in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. i, p. 160. 

 Leiothrix argentauris (Hodys.), Blyth, Cat. p. 99 ; Horsf. Sf M. Cat. 



i, p. 365 ; Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 251 ; Godw.-Aust. J. A. S. B. xxxix, 



pt. ii, p. 109; xlv,pt. ii, p. 81 ; Bl. Birds Burm.y. 109; Wardlaw 



Ramsay, Ibis, 1877, p. 464 ; Anders. Yunnan Exped., Aces, p. 630 ; 



Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi, p. 370. 



The Silver-eared Hill-Tit, Jerd. ; Dang-mpchil-pho, Lepch. 



Fig. 74. Head of M. argeniauris. 



Coloration. Male. Forehead golden yellow ; crown, nape, lores, 

 cheeks, produced as a stripe under the ear-coverts, black ; ear- 

 coverts silvery white ; upper back and sides of the neck fulvous 

 yellow ; lower back, scapulars, tertiaries, and wing-coverts slaty, 

 some of the outermost of the latter edged with green ; rump 

 slaty green ; upper tail-coverts crimson ; tail blackish brown, the 

 three outer pairs of feathers edged with yellowish ; wings brown, 

 the first two primaries edged with yellow, the other quills with 

 crimson at the base and yellow elsewhere ; chin and throat deep 

 orange-yellow ; lower plumage olive-yellow, brighter on the breast 

 and abdomen, the former of which is obsoletely streaked darker ; 

 under tail-coverts crimson. 



Female. Differs in having both the upper and the lower tail- 

 coverts orange-buff. 



The young have the crown yellowish at first. 



Bill ochre-yellow, slightly greenish at the base ; iris dark or 

 reddish brown ; feet yellow-fleshy ; claws buff-horny (Scully). 



