632 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL mST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXIII. 



MixoRNis, Hodgson (1842).* 



Gates, F. B. I., i., p.l66. 



" The genus Mixornis differs from all the other genera of slender-billed 

 Timeliince in having the nostrils oval, exposed and not covered by a scale 

 or membrane as in the others." (Gates). 



They have besides the following characteristics, a short rounded wing, 

 the first four primaries graduated ; wing and tail about equal in length ; 

 the feathers of the forehead soft ; bill slender and slightly curved ; rictal 

 bristles weak ; and no overhanging hairs over the nostrils. 



There is an extraordinary resemblance in the coloration of Mixornis and 

 Stachryhidopsis ruficeps, both having rufous caps ; yellowish under parts, 

 and striped throats, and have consequently been often confused. The dis- 

 tinguishing feature between these two genera being their bills, in Mixornis 

 this is slender and slightly curved, and the nostrils exposed, while in 

 StachyrJiidopsis, the bill is conical, the upper and lower edges of the mandi- 

 bles straight, and almost the same description as in the Goldfinch, and the 

 nostrils covered by a membrane. 



Mixornis extend from the foot-hills of Nepal to Assam and Burma, and 

 from there into Malayana and the Islands ; within Indian limits we have 

 two geographical races which gradually pass from one into the other. 



MiXOKNIS GULAKIS KUBRICAPILLUS, Tickell. 



Motacilla rubricapilla, Tickell, J, A. S. B., ii., p. 576 (1833). 



Mixornis rubricapillus, Sharpe, Cat., B. M., vii., p. 578 ; Gates, F. B. I., i.. 

 p. 167. 



StacJiryhidopsis sulphurea, Rippon, Bull., B. G. C, xi., p. 11. 



Mixornis gularis rubricapillus, Harington, Bull., B. G. C, xxxiii. 



" Female 5 inches, eyes reddish hazel ; bill and legs pale horn ; crown of 

 head rusty ; feathers of the nostrils, over the eye, auriculars and sides of 

 the neck, pale yellowish green ; upper parts olive ; throat and breast pale 

 yellow shafted black." (Tickell). 



Descrip)tion. — "Extreme point of forehead and the lores yellow with black 

 shafts, continued back as a uniform yellow supercilium ; crown pale fer- 

 ruginous, blending on the nape with the olive-green of the upper plumage 

 and sides of the neck ; ear-coverts dull yellow with pale shafts ; centre of 

 breast and abdomen plain yellow ; remainder of lower plumage dull ashy 

 yellow." The upper plumage wings and tail have a decided rufous tinge. 



Birds from SiJchim, Bengal and the Butan Duars have very little rufous 

 on the head, which is almost uniformly the same as the back, with only 

 a slight rufous wash on the forepart of the head ; under parts very dull. 



Birds from Assam are a little more rufous on the head, but under parts 

 dull yellow. " Iris reddish hazel ; bill horny ; legs pale horny." 



Birds from Burma have the forehead and crown bright rufous ; and 

 under parts bright yellow. " Iris a sickly white," 



Wing 57-61 mm. ; tail 54 mm. ; culmen 13-14 mm.[; tarsus 20 mm. 



Distribution. — Chota Nagpore, Sikhim to Assam, throughout Burma and the 

 Shan States to Tenasserim, it does not ascent the hills to any great height. 

 (Lately recorded from Bengal in Journal). 



Habits and Nestiny. — In Burma, I have found it very partial to bamboo 

 jungle, and essentially a plains bird, not ascending the hills to any great 



*Outside Indian limits, there are numerous races of this genus, which extends as 

 far as the Philippine Islands. 



M. fiavieollis, Bp., Java ; M. frigida, (Hartl.), W- Sumatra ; M. p)-illiuitzi, 

 Hartert, Kangean Islands ; M. everettei, Hartert, Natuna Islands, M. woodi, 

 Sharpe, Philippine Islands ; M. javanica, Cab., Java ; M. montana, Sharpe, 

 N. W. Borneo ; M. erythronota, Reichenow, Java. 



