rSEUDOMiNLA. 287 Key to Species and Subspecies. A. Head grey; a long black siipercilimn. P. cinerea, p. 287. B. Head chestnut; no black super- cilium. _ [p. 288. a. Crown dark chestnut P. castaneiceps castaneiceps, b. Crown light chestnut P.c. hrxmneicaiidata^ p. 289.
(301) Pseudominla cinerea.
The Dusky-green Tit-Babbler.
- Minla cinerea Blyth, J. A. S. B., xvi, p. 449 (1849) (Darjeeling),
- Sittiparns cinereiis. Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 171.
Vernacular names. Dao-peH ka^ldba (Cachari).
Description. Upper plumage greyish green, the feathers of the forehead, crown and nape margined with black; a broad black baud on either side of the crown from the forehead to the nape, terminating iu a ni;raber of streaks on the upper back; a broad
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Fig. 54.—Head of P. cinerea.
pale yellow supereilium from the back to the nape; a line tlirnugb the eye black; ear-coverts mixed grey and black; cheeks yellow, tipped with black; wing and tail-feathers suffused on the outer webs with the colour of the back; whole lower plumage yellow, the sides of neck, i)rHast and abdomen olivaceous.
Colours of soft parts. Iris brown or reddish brown; bill dark horny-brown to nearly black; legs fleshy- or reddish-brown; " fleshy yellow " (Jerdon).
Measurements. Total length about 110 to llo mm.; wing 53 to 58 mm.; tail about 42 to 44 mm.; tarsus about 23 mm.; culmen 10 mm.
Distribution. Nepal, Sikkim and Assam North and South of the Brahmaputra.
Nidification. The Dusky-green Tit-Babbler breeds from 2,500 up to at least 6,000 feet but not often below some 3,500 feet. The nesting season commences early in xipril and continues up to the latter part of July. The nest is either a deep cup, semi-domed cup or a complete oval and is placed either low down iu bushes, bamboo clum|)s, vines and (Teepers or, more rarely, very low down in amongst the roots of the same. The principal materials in all case? where bamboos are handy are bamboo leaves; elsewhere soft
