Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 1).djvu/363

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YUHINA.
319

Measurements. Total length about 165 mm.; wing about 74 to 77 mm.; tail about 74 mm.; tarsus about 24 mm.; culmen about 16 to 17 m,.

This bird only differ's from Y. d. diademata in being darker throughout and in having the breast and sides of the head more

Distribution. Yuniiau and Kachin Hills.

Nidification. Breeds in the Bhamo Hills in April and May, making a flimsy, almost transparent cup of black roots with a few scraps of bracken, well plastered with cobwebs and lined with fine black roots and fern-rachides. They are invariably placed low down in brambles, bracken or coarse grass and measure outwardly about 4" l)y 2|" deep. The eggs are two in number, very I'arely three, and are long ovals in shape, the ground-colour a dull greenish blue with profuse blotches and specks all over of umber-brown . Twenty-two eggs average 20'oXl4-9 mm.

Habits. A common bird in the Bhanio Hills, going about in small flocks in higher saplings and trees. Haringtou says " They are very Tit-like in their habits and notes, continually raising the crest and so revealing the conspicuous white patch at the back of the head." They seem to be found between 4,500 and 7,000 feet.



Fig. 58.—Head of Y. o. occipitalis


(342) Yuliina occipitalis occipitalis.

Yuhina occipitalis Hodgs., As. Ees., xix, p. 160 (1836) (Nepal); Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 212.

Vernacular names. Tihriiujlng-pho (Lepcha).

Description. Porehead and crest slaty-grey with whitish shaft- streaks, posterior feathers of crest and nape chestnut; hind neck ashy; upper plumage rufous-brown; the wings and tail brown, the outer webs of the feathers suffused and margined with rufous- brown; a circle of white feathers round the eye; ear-coverts and the region of the eye slaty-grey, streaked whitish; a narrow int(^irupted black moustachial streak; chin, throat, breast and sides of neck vinous; sides of the abdomen rusty-grey, centre pale chestnut; thighs, vent and under tail-coverts bright chestnut; under winc-coverts and edjre of winjr white.