THE BIRDS OF TRAVANCORE. 259 



of grass, or occasionally in some thick bush." Mr. T. F. Bourdillon 

 writes : — ' c It breeds at elevations of from 2,000-4,000 feet in January, 

 February and March. It always prefers the thick forest, but the only 

 two nests I have found were placed by the side of a road. The nest is 

 large and domed and composed of grass and eerul leaves and a good 

 deal of moss. The eggs, three in number, are white with very thin 

 shells, resembling in texture the eggs of swifts or martins. In shape 

 they are fusiform, the transverse axis running through the centre of 

 the egg and net towards one end." 

 The average size is l'O X 0*7,5. 



Sub-family Timelunce. 

 (16) Dumetia albigularis. — The Small White-throated Babbler. 

 Oates, No. 136 ; Jerdon, No. 398. 

 Small parties of these birds may commonly be met with from 1,000 

 to 3,000 feet elevation in thick underwood. They are shy birds and re- 

 quire to be looked for. Colonel Legge says they are common in the low 

 country in Ceylon. In Travancore this is not the case, and 1 have 

 found them nowhere below 1,000 feet in the hills. Travancore birds 

 resemble Ceylon specimens in having the white feathers of the throat 

 white shafted, differing in this respect from Mysore and Wynaad ones ; 

 they are however of a much duller hue of fulvous below, and there is 

 no tinge of rufous on the head and forehead which are dark-ashy. The 

 white on the throat also is not nearly so conspicuous, and is in fact 

 merely whitish and the upper plumage is darker. 



(17) Pellorneum ruficeps. — The Spotted Babbler. 

 Oates, No. 144 ; Jerdon, No. 399. 

 Mr. F. W. Bourdillon writes : — " This bird appears to be scarce. I 

 have only obtained a single specimen in thick underwood at an 

 elevation of 2,500 feet." It is certainly rare, as I have also only 

 obtained a single specimen on the Cardamom Hills at 3,000 feet. 

 This was in January, 1901. There were two feeding on the ground, 

 just off the road. 



(18) Alcippe ph^eocephala. — The Nilgiri Bubbler.. 



Oates, No. 164 ; Jerdon, No. 389. 



This babbler is fairly common at an elevation of 2,000 feet and upwards. 



On the high range it is perhaps more abundant than elsewhere. 



Mr. T. F. Bourdillon says : — " The nest is one of the commonest found 



in our jungles. It is a neat little cup lined with fine roots resembling 



horse hair, placed without any attempt at protection in saplings or 

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