Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 1).djvu/349

Rh coverts are much more ocbraceous and the central tail-feathers are much more distinctly barred.

Colours of soft parts and Measurements as in the last bird.

Distribution. Hills South of the Brahmaputra in Assam to Manipur.

Nidification. Similar to that of the last bird but breeds at a lower elevation, {. e. between 3,5U0 and 6,000 feet. The eggs cannot be distinguished from those of the last bird and are like poorly coloured, ^eakly marked specimens of those of Trochalopterum phoemceum. One hundred eggs average 23-4 x 17'7mm., and the extremes are 25-0 X 18-4, 21-7 X 17-4 and 22-0 X 17-0 mm.

Habits. This is a very common bird over all the Western Hills South of the Brahmaputra but much more rare to the East. It wanders about in parties of half-a-dozen to a dozen or so, keeping principally to the tree-tops and bigger trees, as described by Hume when referring to the last bird but sometimes haunting the lower cover when there is any special attraction. In N. Cachar they were found occasionally feeding on the ground amongst strawberries, which were infested with a little black fly. In these latter cases we found the stomachs contained a mass of crushed strawberries and flies, the birds evidently swallowing them together. They were not shy birds and allowed quite close observation without moving away but they were always most restless and quick in their motions.


 * Actinodura ripponi Ogilvie-Grant, Ibis, 1907, p. 166 (Mt. Victoria).

Vernacular names. Pong-prap (Kachiu).

Description. Similar to A. e. khasiana but with the crown dark grey as in A. e. egertoni and the back, rump and upper tail-coverts olive-green.

Colours of soft parts and Measurements as in the other races.

Distribution. Chin and Kachin Hills.

Nidification and Habits differ in no way from those of the two other birds. Ten eggs taken by Harington, Mackenzie, Grant and others average 23-0xI7"5 mm. Harington obtained their nests from bamboo clumps.


 * Actinodura ramsayi Walden, A. M. N, H., (4) xv, p. 402 (1876) (Karennee); Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 202.

Vernacular names. None recorded. VOL. I. X