Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 1).djvu/422

378 richly coloured eggs nml the texture is distiuctly more fragile and coarser, the surface seldom having any gloss. Fifty eggs average 26.2 × 18.2 mm. and the extremes are 28.1 × 19.0 mm., 27.3 × 19.3 and 22.0 × 16.0. The last is both the shortest and most narrow.

Habits. This Bulbul is not gregarious though, where food is plentiful, two or three pairs may be found in company. They frequent lighter forest, bush and scrub in preference to heavy forest, rarely entering these to any depth except in the breeding season. They are quiet birds but have a few musical notes and a loud mellow call, a whistle with three ascending notes. It is found up to about 7,000 feet and in winter descends to 2,000 feet. It is a most amiable bird and will allow much smaller birds to drive it away from food without making any protest.

(395) Hemixus macclellandi tickelli.

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Vernacular names. None recorded.

Description. Differs from the Rufous-bellied Bulbul in having the lower plumage grey tending to white on the abdomen and the breast streaked with whitish shaft-stripes; the ear-coverts and the sides of the neck are pale rusty, which colour also tinges the breast; the shaft-stripes of the crest-feathers are broader and whiter; the throat is grey instead of white.

Colours of soft parts. "Legs and feet fleshy-pink, light purplish brown, pale pinkish brown or pale reddish brown; bill black, hoary black or dark hoary brown; iris wood-brown, deep red-brown, light red or crimson" (Hume and Davison).

Measurements. Total length about 230 to 240 mm.; wing 97 to 102 mm.; tail about 106 mm.; tarsus about 18 mm.; culmen about 23 mm.

Distribution. Karenni and the hills of East Central Burma to Muleyit in Tenasserim.

Nidification. Unknown.

Habits. This race seems to be found in much the same kind of forest as that frequented by the last bird but it is also found in pine-forests, in which H. m. macclellandi does not seem to enter. It occurs from 2,500 up to 4,000 feet.

There is a form of Hemixus macclellandi found in the Kachin Hills (Harington) but I have not seen any specimens. Presumably it is typical macclellandi with which Harington placed it but it may be this Karen Hills form, tickelli, and specimens are badly wanted to confirm or disprove this.