432 On a new Species of Babbler. 



XXXV. — Ofi a new Species of Babbler (Turdimilus guttati- 

 collis) from the Miri Hills to the North of Assam. By 

 W. R. Ogilvie Grant. 



While engaged in identifying and incorporating Col. H. H. 

 Godwin- Austen's collection of birds which has recently been 

 added to the National Collection_, I came upon four examples 

 of an extremely distinct little Babbler. They were amongst 

 a couple of boxes of skins collected by Mr. William Robert 

 in the Miri Hills^ and, as this part of the collection had never 

 been properly examined, it is not surprising that so small 

 and inconspicuous a bird should have been overlooked. 

 The Miri Hills are the range to the north of Sadiya, running 

 nearly at right angles to the Mishmi Hills, which lie to the 

 east. The nearest ally to the Miri bird is Robert's Babbler 

 (Turdinulus roberti), which was discovered by the same 

 naturalist in the Manipur Hills and described by Lord Walden 

 and Col. God win- Austen in ' The Ibis ' for 1875, p. 252, under 

 the name of Pnoepyga roberti. The latter species also occurs 

 in Tenasserim, and the late Mr. W. Davison remarked that it 

 was generally met with hopping about on the ground or 

 among the undergrowth in the densest portions of the forest, 

 and would not take wing unless hard pressed. 



The chief characteristics by which the present species may 

 be distinguished from its more southern ally are the white 

 throat and fore neck spotted ivith black, and the generally 

 dark brown colour of the upper parts and flanks. I there- 

 fore propose to call it 



Turdinulus guttaticollis, sp. n. 



Adult. Top of the head and mantle dark brown, each 

 feather indistinctly margined with blackish, those of the 

 mantle with pale shafts ; lower back similarly coloured, but 

 with a distinctly rufous tinge ; wings dark brown, each of 

 the longer coverts and inner secondary quills with a wedge- 

 shaped white spot at the extremity. Lores and superciliary 

 stripes pale rufous white ; ear-coverts brown ; chin and 

 middle of throat and neck pure white, becoming rusty white 

 on the sides and all spotted with triangular black spots; the 



