258.  Minla igneitincta, Hodgs. The Red-tailed Minla.

Minla ignotincta, Hodgs., Jerd.  B. Ind. ii, p. 254:  Hume, Rough
Draft N. & E. no. 618.

The Red-tailed Minla, according to Mr. Hodgson’s notes and figures, breeds in the central region of Nepal and near Darjeeling, during May and June.  It builds a beautiful rather deep cup-shaped nest of mosses, moss-roots, and some cow’s hair, lined with these two latter.  The nest is placed in the fork of three or four slender branches of some bushy tree, at no great elevation from the ground, and is attached to one or more of the stems in which it is placed by bands of moss and fibres.  A nest taken on the 24th May measured externally 3.28 inches in diameter and 2.25 in height; internally the cavity was 2 inches in diameter and 1.62 in depth.  They lay from two to four eggs, of a pale verditer-blue ground, speckled and spotted pretty boldly with brownish red.  An egg is figured as a regular rather broad oval, measuring 0.78 by 0.55.

On the other hand, Dr. Jerdon says:—­“Its nest has been brought to me, of ordinary shape, made of moss and grass, and with four white eggs, with a few rusty red spots.”

260.  Cephalopyrus flammiceps (Burton). The Fire-cap.

Cephalopyrus flammiceps (Burt.), Jerd.  B. Ind. ii, p. 267; Hume,
Rough Draft N. & E. no. 633.

Writing from Murree, Colonel C.H.T.  Marshall tells us:—­“On the 25th May we found the nest of this species (the Fire-cap) in a hole in a rotten sycamore-tree about 15 feet from the ground.  The nest was a neatly made cup-shaped one, formed principally of fine grass.  We were unfortunately too late for the eggs, as we found four nearly fledged young ones, showing that these birds lay about the 15th April.  Elevation, 7000 feet.”

Captain Cock says:—­“I found a nest in the stump of an old chestnut-tree at Murree.  The nest was about 13 feet from the ground near the top of the stump, placed in a natural cavity:  it was constructed of fine grass and roots carefully woven and was of a deep cup shape.  It contained five fully fledged young ones.  The end of May was the time when I found this, and I have never yet succeeded in finding another.”

261.  Psaroglossa spiloptera (Vigors). The Spotted-wing.

Saroglossa spiloptera (Vig.), Jerd.  B. Ind. ii, p. 336; Hume, Rough Draft N. & E. no. 691.

Personally I know nothing of the nidification of the Spotted-wing.

Captain Hutton tells us that “this species arrives in the hills about the middle of April in small parties of five or six, but it does not appear to ascend above 5500 to 6000 feet, and is therefore more properly an inhabitant of the warm valleys.  I do not remember seeing it at Mussoorie, which is 6500 to 7000 feet, although at 5200 feet on the same range it is abundant during summer.  Its notes and flight are very much those of the Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), and it delights to take a short and rapid flight and return twittering to perch on the very summit of the forest trees.  I have never seen it on the ground, and its food appears to consist of berries.