ASSAM, SYLHET AND CACHAR. 227 



but I saw it two or three times in the Eastern hills, when after 

 birds I more required. It is extremely common in Sikhim. 



Godwin- Austen obtained this in the forests on the slopes 

 of the Kylas or Chikmang Peak in the Garo hills, but 

 beyond this I have no record of its occurrence in Assam, 

 Sylhet, Caehar or British Burmah. 



578.— Abrornis castaneiceps, Eodgs. 



I never met with this in Manipur myself, but Godwin- 

 Austen shot a specimen at the head of the Iril valley, the 

 northern extremity of the Manipur basin, and it must therefore 

 be included in our list. 



He also records meeting with it several times in the Naga 

 hills, and I know nothing beyond this of its occurrence in 

 Assam, Sylhet or Caehar, nor ^ am I aware that it has as yet 

 been observed anywhere in British Burmah. 



58452S.— Henicurus guttatus, Gould, 



This pretty Forktail was tolerably common in both the 

 Eastern and Western hills. The first I saw was fluttering 

 about the almost dry face of a precipice (which during parts 

 of the year is veiled by a lovely waterfall), about a thousand 

 feet above the Eerung river. In all the little tributary stream- 

 lets of the Limata it was common. 



Then I shot it in a tiny streamlet, just below Aimole, that 

 supplies that village with water ; again down in the Sengma,i 

 Turail just inside the hills ; and lastly high up above Matchi, 

 where there was a mere trickling thread through forest. I 

 measured a few : — 



Legs and feet a very delicate pale pinky white ; bill black, 

 irides brown. 



It is curious that not only these three but all the females 

 I shot have the feathers of the occiput and nape brown cen- 

 tred. Hitherto I have always considered this the last trace 

 of immaturity. I now suspect that it is the normal plumage 

 of the adult female, though some very old females are in this 

 respect like the males. 



I have this from Shillong and other places in the Khasi 

 hills, and Godwin- Austen too got a young bird of this species 



