(44) Garrulus bispecularis persaturatus.
The Khasia Hills Jay.
- Garrulus bispecularis persaturatus Hartert, Nov. Zoologicæ, xxv, p. 430 (1918) (Shillong).
Vernacular names. Dao-flampu (Cachari).
Description. The darkest and brownest of all the races.
Measurements. Wing 162 to 176 mm.
Distribution. Hills south of the Brahmaputra, but the limits still undefined. South of Manipur it is not found in the Chin Hills and east of the Naga Hills the country is still utterly unknown.
Nidification. Breeds in the Khasia Hills in May, during which month two nests were brought in to me with the parent birds. They were made of twigs, roots and tendrils and lined with finer roots and fern rachides; in shape broad cups about 10″ × 412″. Both nests were placed in rhododendron trees 15 to 20 feet from the ground in mixed oak and rhododendron forest at about 6,000 feet.
The eggs are like those of the Himalayan Jay and average about 29·0 × 22·5 mm.
Habits. I found this bird more than once in N. Cachar in stunted oak forest at 5,000 to 6,000 feet but it was very rare; in the Khasia Hills it was generally to be found either in the pine-forests or in the patches of oak-forest just above the pines. In habits and manner it was very like the common European Jay, but much more shy and not so noisy.
(45) Garrulus bispecularis haringtoni.
Rippon's Jay.
- Garrulus haringtoni Rippon, Bull. B. O. C., xv, p. 97 (1905) (Mt. Victoria, S. Chin Hills).
Vernacular names. None recorded.
Description. Similar to the Sikkim Jay, but throat whitish and sides of head and ear-coverts much paler. The crown is also distinctly, sometimes strongly, streaked with blackish.
Measurements. This is a large bird, the wing-measurements being 170 to 178 mm., so that in size as well as in colour it approaches the Burmese Jay.
Distribution. South Chin Hills and South Kachin Hills, where they seem to overlap with the Burmese Jay. A Jay which is found in the N. Shan States may be this or leucotis.
Nidification. The nest and eggs of this Jay were taken on Mt. Victoria but no details recorded.
Habits. Similar to those of the other Jays. It is said to keep much to pine-forests and to grass-covered hills with scattered oaks.[1]
- ↑ G. b. rufescens, the Yunnan Jay, is almost sure to occur within the Shan States and may be distinguished by the characters given in the key.
