THE BIRDS OF NORTH CACHAR, 206 
its actions when so employed. On the wing it is not nearly so strong, 
and it seldom indulges ina flight of any length. It is notat alla 
shy bird and may be watched from a distance of some twenty paces 
without any fear of driving it away. Should it at last become 
frightened, it will descend lower amongst the jungle and hastily make 
its way deeper into it by flitting and scrambling from twig to twig and 
branch to branch. Its ordinary note is a rather loud chir-chit, chir- 
chit, repeated two or three times ; besides this it has a musical double 
note that can almost be called a whistle. Neither of these sounds are 
often uttered, and sometimes for several minutes together not a bird in 
the flock will utter a single note. There is a species of small tree to be 
found here, which is nearly always much infested with green Aphide ; 
and where there are many of these trees about, a flock of these 
birds may generally be met with, specimens that I have shot in such 
places always being full of the insects. Another favourite food is the 
larvee of the common locust. I have also on two occasions taken some 
very hard black seeds from their stomachs, which are in size and 
appearance very similiar to mustard seed, but are much harder, 
(86) StvA cYANUROPTERA.—The Blue-winged Siva. 
Oates, No. 221 ; Hume, No. 617. 
During the breeding season this bird is only found on the very 
highest peaks, descending to about 4,000 feet in the cold weather ; 
more rarely as low even as 2,000. It is a common bird here. 
(87) YuHINA NicRIMENTUM.—The Black-chinned Yuhina. 
Oates, No. 225 ; Hume, No. 628. 
I obtained this bird at Guilang this year, 18938, and also took its 
nest. This is a pendant cradle-like structure made almost entirely of 
moss-roots and attached to the moss or lichen on the under part of a 
bough. 
The eggs are pale greenish marked with specks of pale brown, and 
Oates was quite correct in thinking they would prove not to be plain 
white. 
(88) ZosTEROPs PALEBROSA.—The Indian White-eye. 
Oates, No. 228 ; Hume, No. 681. 
Common to the west and north, meeting and being equally 
common with the next species in the centre and almost entirely 
replaced by it to the east and south. 
