BIRDS IN BRITISH GARHWAL, 143 
Grammatoptila striata (101).—The Striated Laughing-Thrush, 
Well distributed all over the hills wherever suitable dense forest occurs. Blan- 
ford gives its range as 6,000’ to 9,000’, but in Garhwal it is found down to 
4,000’ along densely wooded moist ravines of the outer hills. 
Proparus vinipectus (183).—The Plain-brown Tit-Babbler. 
On the 24th June I camo across a nest of this bird at an elevation of 9,509’ in 
the Dhanpur range of hills in central Garhwal. The nest was suspended among 
the fine pendant branchlets of a ringal culm (Arundinaria spathiflora) at a height 
of about 4’ from the ground. It was situated in the middle of a fairly dense 
forest of brushwood and ringal. The nest was a deep cup composed outside of 
green moss and rhizomorphs, then a thin layer of lonicera fibre, birch bark, and 
dead ringal leaves, then a thick layer of rhizomorphs and rootlets, with a final 
lining of hair. The two eggs which the nest contained averaged ‘68’ x *53” 
and were pale green heavily blotched round the larger end with pale sepia. 
Hodgsonius phanicuroides (199).—Hodgson’s Short-wing. 
This bird is very skulking in its habits which may partly account for the fact 
that I very seldom observed it ; yet I do not think that the bird can be common. 
Blanford writes of this bird “ Bill dusky reddish at the gape,” but I find my 
own notes on a female are “ Bill black, lower mandible yellow at the base.” 
I found it breeding in the middle of June up the Dhauli valley close to Dunagiri. 
Of the two nests I found, one at 10,000’ elevation contained two fresh eggs, the 
other at 11,500’ elevation contained three slightly incubated eggs. They were 
placed in low bushes in the vicinity of cultivation at a height of 1’ to 2’ above the 
ground. Both nests were deep cups and were similarly constructed. Outside 
there was bark fibre followed by grass with a lining of hair. The dark blue eggs 
averaged ‘84” x61” for the clutch of two, and °‘88” x 62” for the clutch of 
three. 
Oligura castaneicoronata (202).—The Chestnut-headed Short-wing. 
In view of the limited distribution recorded by Blanford for this species its 
occurrence in Garhwal deserves mention, though I am aware that it has already 
een shot some years ago by my brother Mr. B. B. Osmaston, C.I.E., as far west 
as Jaunsar. I only obtained one specimen in Garhwal and this bird was shot 
close to Pauri at 6,000’ elevation in April. The skin was identified for me at the 
British Museum. 
Siva strigula (219).—The Stripe-throated Siva. 
This bird is found over practically the whole of the hill ranges of Garhwal at 
least as far north as Pipalkoti. In spite of its wide distribution it is not a bird 
that is very frequently seen. It has a rather plaintive whistling call of three 
notes uttered somewhat slowly and deliberately at equal intervals, the last note 
pitched lower than the other two. The flight is rather slow and laboured. 
Yuhina qularis (223).—The Stripe-throated Yuhina. : 
Blanford has not recorded this species west of Nepal. I only shot the bird 
once and this was in a “ banj” oak forest not very far from Rudrapryag at 7,500’ 
elevation. This bird, which was shot on 12th April, was one of a pair. 
Sitta leucopsis (323).—The White-cheeked Nuthatch. 
Blanford does not mention the occurrence of this species east of Mussoorie. 
I however came across it in the dry interior blue pine (Pinus excelsa) forests of 
the Dhauli valley where I obtained specimens at 9,500’ elevation in June. I did 
not find the bird in any way common. 
Dicrurus longicaudatus (328).—The Indian Ashy Drongo. 
This is the common drongo of these hills and it breeds at all elevations up to 
8,000’, and possibly higher. In the outer Himalayan valleys Chaptia enea and 
other drongos are found and D. ater is also found locally in the outer hills, parti- 
cularly in the more cultivated tracts, and occasionally at low elevations as far 
north as Nandpryag. But in central and upper Garhwal D. longicaudatus is the 
only common species. They leave the hills in the cold weather returning in 
