434 SYLVIIDvE. 



brown edged with dull green ; lores and behind the eye dusky ; a 

 distinct yellow superciliura ; sides of the head mixed dusky and 

 yellow; the whole lower plumage dull fulvous-yellow, suffused 

 with brown on the sides of the body ; axillaries and under wing- 

 coverts pale yellow. 



Upper mandible brown, lower yellow ; feet yellowish brown 

 ( Cockburn). 



Length about 4-5 ; tail 2-2 ; wing 2-2 ; tarsus '9 ; bill from 

 gape -6. 



Distribution. The Himalayas from the Sutlej valley to Sikhim 

 at elevations of from 6000 to 10,000 feet. In Hume's list of the 

 birds of Pegu (S. F. iii, p. 139) this species was doubtfully re- 

 corded. The specimen I sent to Hume was a very bad one, but I 

 have since identified it with Herbivocula schwarzi. Hume records 

 the present species from the Khasi hills, and it is not yet known 

 to occur further south. 



Habits, <Sfc. Breeds in Sikhim from May to July at elevations of 

 from 3500 to 6000 feet, constructing a globular nest, made of 

 bamboo-leaves and grass, in bushes, and laying three eggs ; these 

 measure *66 by *5 ; their colour is a deep chocolate-purple. 



Genus HORORNIS, Hodgs., 1845. 



The genus Horornis contains seven Indian birds of dull colora- 

 tion, and which are for the most part very little known. With 

 one exception they are resident species on the higher hills. The 

 one exception is H. canturiens, which appears to be a winter 

 visitor from China, and the position of which is somewhat doubtful. 

 For the present I place it in this genus. 



Horornis has a bill about half as long as the head ; the rictal 

 bristles are strong, and there are some .supplementary hairs in 

 front of them. There are, however, no long hairs over the 

 nostrils, the shafts of the frontal feathers being merely lengthened. 

 The wing is very blunt and short, the first primary being large, 

 and the second and third graduated, the fourth hardly reaching to 

 the tip of the wing. The tarsus in all is very strong, and the hind 

 toe and claw are especially so. The tail is about the length of the 

 wing and not greatly graduated, the outer feathers being about 

 four fifths the length of the tail. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Upper plumage entirely of one colour. 

 '. Upper plumage tinged with rufous. 

 ". Under wing -coverts and axillaries 



distinctly yellow. 

 a'". Lower 'plumage yellowish; tail 



about 1'8 H. brunnescens, p. 435. 



b"'. Lower plumage buffish ; tail about 



2-1 H.fortipes, p. 435. 



