Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 1).djvu/335

 FUr.VETTA. 291

Nidification. This Fal vetta breeds in the Himalayas in May and June between 6,000 and 10,000 feet, making a deep, compact cup of grass and bamboo leaves completely covered with moss outside, except at the base, and densely lined with fine grass and roots and an inner lining of hair or fur. It appears to be generally placed low down in bushes in thick scrub. , The aggs number two or tliree and are like no other eggs known to me, the ground-colour is a French grey, or grey-blue with markings at the larger end of sepia and dark brown with a few underlying blotches of pale neutral tint; all the markings are bold in character but sparse and confined almost entirely to the larger end. They measure about 18-2 X 13-7 mm.

Habits. The habits of the Fulvettas seem to be much the same as those of Pseudomiala, though very little has been recorded. They are found up to at least 12,000 feet.

{{c|{{larger|(305) Fulvetta vinipecta austeni. Godwin- Austen's Fulvetta. Proparns cmstejii O.-Grant, Bull. B. O. C, v, p. 3 (1895) (Mauipur).

Vernacular names. Dao-pere-gajao (Cachari).

Description. Differs from the last in having the head duller chestnut and the black head-stripes replaced by deep reddish- brown; chin white and throat white with reddish-brown spots.

Colours of soft parts. Iris reddish-brown; bill dark brownish- black; legs and feet dull fleshy-brown. Measurements about the same as in Hodgson's Fulvetta. Wing 57 to 00 mm.; culmen 9 to 9"5 mm.

Distribution. Xaga Hills, Mam'pur, Cachar Hills and probably all the hill-ranges ISouth of the Brahmaputra over 5,000 feet.

Nidification and Habits. jSTothing recorded. In Cachar it was a winter visitor only to the highest peaks on the Barail Eange, •where I found it in small flocks in the stunted oak forest at 5,000 to 6,000 feet. It is an active, cheerful little bird, restlessly moving about the bushes and. lower trees, both by feet and wings, uttering continually a soft " chip, chip."

{{c|{{larger|(306) Fulvetta vinipecta ripponi. }}

{{sc|The Chin Hills Fulvetta. }}}}


 * Proparus ripponi Ilarington, Bull. B. 0. C, xxxiii, p. o9 (1913) (Mt. Victoria).

Vernacular names. None recorded.

Description. Similar to F. v. austeni but differs in having the white supercilium commencing from the base of the bill; the ear- coverts are chocolate-brown, almost the same colour as the head instead of very dark brown contrasting with it.

Colours of soft parts as in austeni. u2