MYIOTHERINJE. 489 



the fcreast alone is white, more or less spotted, and the abdomen 

 fulvous or brown ; at other times the breast is fulvous, with a 

 few dusky markings, and the abdomen brown ; and at other 

 times, again, the whole plumage is uniform brown without spots. 



Legs fleshy -brown ; bill dusky brown above, fleshy at the base 

 beneath; irides brown. Length 4|- inches ; wing 2^; extent 7^; 

 tail quite rudimentary ; bill at front f . 



The changes of coloration in this species do not appear to be 

 satisfactorily determined ; but they probably depend on age 

 rather than sex : they appear to lose the spots by age. As those 

 birds with white under plumage have the upper feathers more 

 spotted, I consider them to be the young birds ; that those, 

 with buff-scaled under parts, are older ; and that the uniform 

 brown are the fully adult, or very aged ; the white and fulvous- 

 breasted birds may perhaps respectively represent young male 

 and female ; birds in the uniform brown plumage appear to be 

 rarely met with. 



This, the largest species of Hill Wren, has only been found in 

 the Himalayas. It is not uncommon about Darjeeling, and is 

 found up to at least 8,000 feet of elevation. From its habits it is 

 not easily observed. I have seen it hunting under and on a fallen 

 moss-clad tree, and now and then on a forest path, by the trunk 

 of some large tree, to which it would cling for a few moments. 



330. Pnoepyga pusilla, Hodgson. 



J. A. S., Xiy., 588— Bltth, Cat. 1061— Hoesf., Cat. 241. 



The Brown Hill Ween. 



Descr. — Above dark brown ; the wing-coverts with some ter^ 

 minalpale dots ; lores and beneath light brown, the feathers slio-htly 

 margined with black ; and those of the flanks dark, with brown 

 margin and black tip. Bill dusky ; legs horny brown. 

 Length about 4 inches, wing If ; bill at front, -j-^^ 

 This appears a rare bird ; but one specimen being in the Asiatic 

 Soc. Museum, and one in the E. I. C. Museum in London. It is 

 very similar in its markings to some of the states of the last 



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