30 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



Phoyeum-pho, or Pharreeum-pho., Lepch. 



The Slaty-headed Scimitar-babbler. 



Descr. — Above dark olive-green ; crown, nape, and ear-coverts, 

 dark slaty ; a long white supercilium from the base of the bill to 

 the shoulder ; lores black ; sides of the neck and body intense 

 ochreous red ; beneath, the chin, breast, and belly, pure white ; lower 

 part of abdomen, with the flanks, vent, thigh-coverts, and under 

 tail-coverts, olive-green ; tail faintly cross barred. 



Bill orange-yellow, with the ridge dusky ; legs fleshy-brown ; 

 irides hoary; orbitar skin slaty. Length 11 inches; extent 12^ ; 

 wing 4 ; tail 4^ ; bill at front If ; tarsus 1^. 



This species of Pomatorhinus extends from Nepal, through Sikhim 

 and Bootan, to Assam, Sylhet, and Arrakan. It is not rare near 

 Darjeeling, at about 5,000 feet high, and goes generally in pairs, 

 the male uttering a loud iiooting call, answered by the female in 

 a different tone. A nest made of moss and some fibres, and with 

 four pure white eggs, was brought to me at Darjeeling as belonging 

 to this bird. 



403. Pomatorhinus lencogaster, Gould. 



Blyth, Cat. 829 — Horsf., Cat. 346 — P. olivaceus, Blyth. 



Gould's Scimitar-babbler. 



Descr. — Above uniform dull olive ; the head tinged with dusky- 

 cinereous, and a faint rufescent tinge on the na[)e ; lores and ear- 

 coverts black; a long white supercilium, and a deep ferruginous 

 spot behind the ear, continued on the sides of the neck and flanks ; 

 beneath, the throat, breast, middle of abdomen, white ; flanks and 

 lower tail-coverts olivaceous. 



Bill yellow, dusky above ; feet leaden brown. Length 9 inches ; 

 wing 3| ; tail 4 ; bill at front 1 ; tarsus 1;^. 



This appears like a somewhat diminutive race of the last 

 (schisticeps), and is widely sjiread from the N. W. Himalayas, 

 through Nepal, to Assam, and as low as Tenasserim. I did not 

 procure it at Darjeeling. It appears not to ascend the hills to any 

 height. 



