130 
BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 
Subfamily P AEADOXOKNITHIN^. 
Genus PARADOXORNIS, Gould. 
126. PARADOXORNIS RUPICEPS. 
THE RED-HEADED FINCH-THRUSH. 
Paradoxornis ruficeps, Bl. J. A. S. B. xi. p. 177 ; Jerd, B, Ind. ii. p. 6 j BL B. 
Burm. p. 117 ; Hume 8f Dav. S. F. vi. p. 257 ; Hmne, S. F. viii. p. 95. 
Description. — Male and female. Head^ nape^ upper back^ lores,, cheeks 
and ear-coverts chestnut ; upper plumage^ wings and tail olive-brown 
tinged with rufous ; chin^ throat and whole lower plumage white, tinged 
with brown on the flanks, vent, thighs and under tail-coverts. 
Iris reddish brown ; upper mandible brown ; lower mandible flesh- 
colour ; eyelids and mouth bluish ; legs plumbeous ; claws horn-colour. 
Length 7*5 inches, tail 3'5, wing 3*5, tarsus 1*15, bill from gape '6. 
The Red-headed Finch-Thrush was procured in Karennee by Capt. 
Wardlaw Ramsay at an elevation of 2500 feet. Lieut. R. O. Lloyd, R.E., 
when on the Karennee Boundary Expedition, also obtained one specimeo, 
which he kindly gave me. Mr. Davison observed it in Tenasserim on one 
occasion only at Palipoon. Mr. Blyth received it from Arrakan, and 
there is a specimen from that Division in the Strickland Collection. 
Altogether it may be looked upon as a rare bird in Burmah. 
It occurs in the hill-tracts of Eastern Bengal and along the Himalayas 
up to Nipal. 
There are few birds about which so little is known as this, considering 
its tolerably extensive range. Mr. Davison remarks : — " I only met with 
this reed-bird on one occasion a couple of days^ march north of Pahpoon. 
They consisted of a small party of five or six in a thick clump of kine 
grass and reeds, about and amongst which they were working much after 
the manner of Timelia.^' I may state here that this bird is structurally a 
Tit, though by many authors it is placed among the Finches. 
Dr. Jerdon says : — I have procured it both at Darjeeling and on the 
Khasia hills, and found it in dense bamboo-jungle feeding on the seeds 
which ripened this year (1862) over a large extent of the hills. Whilst 
feeding on the bamboos, in small parties, it did not shun observation, but 
on being followed soon concealed itself.^' 
