the typical bleat of the family. So curiously like is it to the plaintive bleat of a small kid in distress that I have more than once been deceived by it.
Whilst almost as active as the Titmouses in climbing about, they are much less so on the wing, for their flight is fluttering, ill-sustained and weak, nor do they ever take to wing unless compelled.
Their food is principally insectivorous, but they also eat a certain amount of seeds and even grain.
(106) Psittiparus gularis gularis.
The Grey-Headed Parrot-Bill.
- Parndoxornis gularis Gray, Gen. Birds, ii, p. 389 (1845) (Sikkim).
- Scæorhynchus gularis. Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 69.
Vernacular names. Chongto-phep-pho (Lepcha).
Description. Forehead, nasal plumes, a supercilium from the forehead to the nape and the chin black; lores and round the eye, cheeks and lower plumage white; flanks and sides of breast only slightly suffused with buff; ear-coverts pale grey; crown and nape dark grey; upper plumage, tail and visible portions of closed wing rufous-brown.
Colours of soft parts. Iris deep red-brown; bill chrome-yellow to an almost orange horny yellow; legs and feet slaty-brown, occasionally with a bluish tinge.
Measurements. Total length about 150 to 155 mm.; wing 90 to 96 mm.; tail about 80 mm.; tarsus about 27 mm.; culmen about 12 to 13 mm. long and about 10 to 11 deep.
Distribution. Sikkim and Bhutan and hills North of the Brahmaputra.
Nidification. Similar to that of P. ruficeps bakeri. The eggs measure about 21·0 × 15·2 mm.
Habits. Similar to the last.
(107) Psittiparus gularis transfluvialis.
Hartert's Parrot-Bill.
- Scæorhynchus gulavis transfluvialis Hartert, Nov. Zool., vii, p. 548 (1900)(Guilang, N. Cachar).
Vernacular names. Daomougasha gophu (Cachari); Indoo-rui gahabale (Kacha Naga).
Description. Differs from the Grey-headed Parrot-Bill in having the whole of the under parts suffused with fulvous and in being rather smaller.
