NOTUS ON INDIAN TIMELIIDES AND TREIR ALLIES. 619 



Bill, plumbeous ; legs, pale fleshy ; iris, brown (Jerdon); wing, 50-54. mm.; 

 tail, 50 mm.; culmen, 9 mm.; tarsus, 23 mm. 



Distribution. — Nepal to East Naga Hills and Manipur. 



Pkoparxjs, Hodgson, 1841. 



Fuivetta, David & Oustalet, Ois. Chin., p. 220 (1877.) 



Proparus, Gates, F. B. I., i, p. 178, 



These are a very distinct group of small birds, which only occur at high 

 elevations, and are consequently very local in their distribution. They 

 extend along the Himalayas, from Simla to the higher ranges of Manipur 

 and Burma, and into Yiinnan, China and Formosa. 



Proparus have the following characteristics : a short rounded wing, the 

 first four primaries graduated ; wing and tail about equal, the latter gra- 

 duated, and in some species rounded at the tips, and in others pointed ; a 

 small compressed bill ; nostrils covered by a membrane, and overhung by 

 Qumerous small hairs, and short rictal bristles ; particularly long tarsus, 

 and a hind claw as long as the hind toe ; plumage remarkably soft and 

 dense ; the outer edge of the wing feathers brightly coloured. 



In habits they appear to be remarkably Tit-like, going about in small 

 parties, hunting trees and bushes for insects. The nesting of two species 

 only, I believe, have been recorded, the nest being a compactly made cup of 

 grass and leaves, felted with moss, and thickly lined with hair and placed 

 in bushes about four feet from the ground. The eggs are a pale green 

 with sepia markings. 



''Sill-Tits " is a misnomer for this family, as they have nothing in com- 

 mon with the True Tits (ParincB), and therefore I propose the name " Fuivetta." 

 We have adopted many other Latin names such as "Alcippe, Siva," etc., as 

 there are no English ones which are applicable." 



Key to the species of Proparus. 

 Harington, B. B.O.C., xxxiii., p. 59 . 



A. — A white supercilium. 



a. Ear-coverts chestnut or brown. 



a^. White supercilium commencing above 

 the eye. 

 a^. Crown reddish-brown, bordered on the 



sides of the occiput with black . . P. v. vinipectus. 



b^. Crown dull chestnut, bordered on the 

 sides of the occiput with reddish- 

 brown . . . . . . . . . . P. V. austeni. 



b^. White supercilium commencing at the 



base of the bill . . . . = , . . P. v. ripponi. 



b. Ear-coverts black. . . . . . . . . P. v. bieii. 



B. — No white supercilium. 



c. Crown chestnut. 



c\ Crown bright chestnut, indistinctly bord- 

 ered with black on the sides . . P. v. ruficapillus. 



d}. Crown dull chestnut, distinctly bordered 



with black on the sides , . . . . . P. v. sordidior. 



d. Crown grey, tinged with pinkish-brown ; 



mantle brown. . . . . . . . . P. v. cinereiceps. 



e. Crown brown. 



c- Mantle brown, like the crown. 



«^ Rump brown or tinged with olive, 

 a*. Outer webs of inner primary and 



secondary quills deep black . . P. guttaticollis. 



