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brown. There is a white circle around 

 the eyes, the white extending posteriorly 

 as a stripe. Crown and upper back, 

 olive rufous, with dark shaft lines to 

 the feathers. Back and rump, uniform 

 dark olive. Under parts bright yellowish 

 rufous, with dark shaft lines to the 

 feathers of the chin throat and upper 

 breast, and the middle of the abdomen 

 ashy gray. Tail and wings dark olive 

 brown. 



Distribution. — Central and south 

 China, a common resident in the 

 Yangtse Valley. 



Nest and Eggs. — The nest is a large 

 cup built up of leaves, coarse grass, 

 and twigs, lined with finer material. 

 It is usually placed low in a dense 

 thicket. The eggs are greenish blue, 

 marked with reddish brown. 



Notes. — This is a very common, and 

 much prized cage bird among the 

 Chinese. It has the most varied song 

 of any of the common birds of the 

 Yangtse Valley, not only having quite 

 a classic repertoire of it's own, but 

 seemingly able to add at will the notes 

 of other birds. 



When wild it prefers the hills, but 

 often comes down to the thickets in 

 the plains. 



LESSER SCIMITAR BABBLER. 



POMATORHINUS STRIDULUS, SWINH. 

 [Pomatorhinus styani, (Seebohm)] . 



Description. — Length seven to eight 

 inches. Bill horny yellow, paler at 

 tip, culmen brownish black. Tarsus 

 greenish gray. Iris red. Crown olive 

 brown. Neck bright rufous, especially 

 at the sides. Long white eyebrow. 



