372 BIEDS OF TENASSERIM. 



619— Minla castaneiceps, Bodgs. (10). 



(Karennee, at 5,200 feet, Bums.) 2,000 feet above Paraduba ; Mooleyit. 



Confined in Tenasserim proper to Mooleyit and its higher 

 slopes, but re-appearing in the continuation of the same range 

 in Karennee. 



[This little bird was common on the slopes of Mooleyit from 

 3,500 feet and upwards, usually going about in flocks of twenty 

 or more, and hunting in a systematic manner amongst the 

 brushwood and trees ; generally commencing low down, and gra- 

 dually working upwards clinging to the stems and trunks, 

 and peering into every crack and cranny, keeping up the whole 

 time a low twittering. They all worked in concert, and the mo- 

 ment one started^ the rest followed in rapid succession. In 

 their habits they much resemble the Tits. AH those I examined 

 had eaten only insects. — W. D.] 



The following are dimensions, &c, of four males recorded 

 in the flesh : — 



Length, 44 to 4*7 ; expanse, 6'6 to 7*1 ; tail from vent, 15 

 to 1*7 ; wing, 2*1 to 23 ; tarsus, 0'7 to 0'8 ; bill from gape, 

 0-55 ; weight, 0'3 to 0"37 oz. 



Legs, feet, and claws, pale greenish brown ; bill dark brown ; 

 base of lower mandible plumbeous ; irides deep brown. 



622 bis. — Proparus dubius, Hume. (23). Descr. 

 Pr. A. S. B., 1874, 107 ; S. E., II., 447. 



Pine forests, Sal ween ; Mooleyit. 



Confined to the higher hill forests of the northern and central 

 portions of the province. 



[I obtained my first specimen of this bird out of a small 

 party I found in a fern brake, to the north of Pahpoon, In the 

 forests near the top of Mooleyit I found the bird common, gene- 

 rally in small parties, occasionally in pairs or singly, but these 

 latter were probably breeding birds. They feed much on the 

 o-round, and among the low brushwood, and entirely on insects. 

 They are not by any meaus shy, and when alarmed utter a 

 note that sounds like chir chit, chit, chit — chir chit, chit, chit, 

 repeated continuously. — W, D.] 



The type specimen of this was procured in the pine forests 

 of the Salween. Since then Davison found it extremely 

 common near the top of Mooleyit at elevations of from 5 to 6 

 thousand feet. 



The following is a resume of the measurements of a large 



series : — 



Males. — Length, 5'3 to 5'9 ; expanse, 7' to 7-3; tail, 2*3 to 2'5 ; 

 wing, 2-19 to lz'35; tarsus, 8 to 0*9; bill from gape, 0'6 to 

 O-Qb; weight, 0"55 to 0'62 oz. 



