58 W. T. Blanford — Zoology of Sikkim. [No. 1, 
dull olive on the rump, wings and tail brown, edged olivaceous exter- 
nally, the quills with whitish inner margins ; all the larger wing coverts and 
some of the smaller primary coverts with white or isabelline spots, forming 
two very well marked bars ; chin, throat, and upper breast, with the sides of 
the neck and breast, behind the white spot black, lower breast and abdomen 
fawn colour, flanks and under tail coverts rather olivaceous. Iris dark brown 
legs leaden gray, bill black. Length before skinning 4 to 4'1, wing 2 3 to 
2 4, tail l'G5 to 1-8, tarsus, 0 65 to 0 7, bill from forehead 027 to 0'3 inch. 
In the young bird the head is dull black, cheek spots primerose yellow, 
back olive, chin and throat brown, breast and abdomen olivaceous. 
This is rather less common than the other two species but it is far from 
rare in the Sikkim pine forests and has the same distribution. It is closely 
allied to L. melanolophus, (Vig.), but the coloration of the under parts is 
different. 
In September and October, these three crested tits were found, old and 
young, associating in large flocks, together with JPhylloscopi , Certliici n ipa- 
lensis, and, below 10,000 feet, with Yuhinoe, Minla ignotincta and some 
other Lew trichina, and Siphia strophiata. The tits are perhaps the most 
abundant of all, and may be seen actively hunting over the stems and 
branches of the different trees, pines, birch, &e. for insects. 
635 iEoLTHAnscus iouschistus, (Hodgs.). — Forehead, centre line of 
head and nape, a collar completely encircling the neck, a band from the base of 
the lower mandible on each side, passing below the ear coverts, and all the 
lower parts, except the chin and throat, rufescent fawn, or dull ferruginous, 
lores and sides of head including a broad stripe over each eye, and a narrower 
one underneath, uniting behind and running back past the nape, glossy black ; 
ear coverts fawn colour with black mixed ; back grey with an olivaceous 
tinge, quills and wing coverts dark brown with slightly paler edgings exter- 
nally, the quills with whitish inner margins ; lower wing coverts paler fawn 
than the breast. Tail brown, the central rectrices darker on the inner web, 
the three inner pairs with bluish grey edges, the three outer pairs with the 
terminal half or rather more of the outer web whitish, and a small portion 
of the inner web near the tip. Chin dusky black, throat and centre of 
foreneck silky white, mixed with black. Iris yellow, (not brown as stated 
by Hodgson), legs yellowish brown, bill black. Length taken before skinning 
4'5 inches, wing 2’25, tail 2T, tarsus 0 7, bill from forehead 0‘28 inch. 
I met with this bird but twice. On the first occasion a flock of 20 
or 30 were hunting about on birch and pine trees at about 10,000 feet near 
Lachung ; on the second occasion a smaller flock were similarly occupied at 
about 9,000 feet in the Lachen valley. It is probably only found in the 
pine forests of Northern Nipal and Sikkim. 
But for Gould’s figure in the Birds of Asia, it would be difficult to 
recognise this bird. 
