194 BIRDS. 



and many of them are noisy. The noisiest of them all is Garrulax 

 leiicoJopJius, the white-headed laughing-thrush, which frequents the 

 jungles of the lower valleys up to about 4,000 feet. When disturbed 

 the whole party unite in making most discordant noises resembling 

 forced screaming laughter. On the other hand, the rufous-chinned 

 laughing-thrush, Janihocinda rufigularis, large flocks of which are 

 exceedingly common among the scrub jungle up to 4,000 feet, has a 

 pleasant warbling note, which being kept up by the whole company 

 constitutes a sweet song. There are five species of Trochalopterum, 

 all pleasingly, although sombrely, plumaged ; and the same number of 

 scimitar-babblers, all with longish bills of a more or less scimitar 

 shape. The bill of Xiphoramphus supcrcilUuris, the slender-billed 

 scimitar-babbler, is remarkable, being very slender, much curved, and 

 nearly 3 inches in length round the curve. 



The bulbuls are also largely represented. The most abundant in 

 numbers is 3IoIpestes bengalensis, which is to be seen in large flocks 

 among the scrub everywhere up to 4,000 feet. Almrus striahis, the 

 striated green bulbul, is almost as abundant, but keeps to the tree 

 tops at elevations over 5,000 feet. The beautiful fairy blue bird, 

 Irena piiella, occurs rather low down, but is not common. The whole 

 of the u^Dper parts of the male are glistening cobalt-blue, and of the 

 lower velvet-black. It is a large bird of 10 inches in length. There 

 is only one oriole, Oriolus Trailii, and it is very unlike any of the 

 plains orioles in appearance, being principally of an Indian-red colour, 

 but it builds the same sort of nest and has a similarly marked egg. 

 Of the stone-chat family the two most notable members are Copsijchiis 

 smilaris, the magpie-robin, and Kittaciiicla macroiira, the sbama, 

 both famous songsters. The latter is usually found at the bottoms of 

 the hot valleys only, but the former is commonest about 3,000 feet. 

 The common and one or two other Indian tailor-birds are plentiful ; 

 and small warblers of many sorts abound. Wagtails are not numer- 

 ous, and are mostly but seasonal visitors. Several species of pipits are 

 abundant in the cold weather, and are sometimes known and used 

 as ortolans. Two thrush-tits are among the most beautiful of the 

 larger Sikhim birds. One of them, Cockoa viridis, is 15 inches long 

 and of a bluish-green colour, with head, neck and tail cobalt-blue. It 

 is not common. The second species, C. purpurea, is commoner and 

 almost as beautiful, and of about the same size, but is coloured bluish- 

 grey and purple. Both are found in the forests from about 6,000 feet 

 upwards. Tits are numerous and varied. One of them, Ilclanoehlora 

 snltanea, which occurs ujj to 4,000 feet elevation, is remarkably 

 coloured. Its body is altogether of a greenish-black with the forehead 

 and a long prominent crest golden-yellow. The finch family is 

 numerously represented in Sikhim, there being about 30 species. 

 Among them are 3 grosbeaks, 3 bullfinches, 1 crossbill, 1 siskin, 



