276 TIMALIID^. 



tending down the neck to tlie back ; ear-coverts grey ; back olive- 

 brown ; exposed portions of the wings and tail yellowish brown ; 

 chin whitish ; under parts pale fulvous, washed with olivaceous on 

 the flanks and thighs. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris light to deep hazel-brown ; bill 

 plumbeous or livid brown, black on the culmeu and base ot the 

 upper mandible, lower paler; legs and feet pale fleshy or livid 

 white. 



Measurements. Total length about 125mm.; wing 56 to 00 mm ; 

 tail about 60 mm. ; tarsus about 20 mm.; culmen 10-5 to 11"5 mm. 



Distribution. The lower hills of Nepal, Sikkim, Assam both 

 Korth and South of the Biahmaputra, Manipur, hills of Eastern 

 Bengal, Chin Hills and Arrakan. 



Nidification. This little bird breeds principally between 1,500 

 and 3,000 feet, makiig a small cup-shaped nest of grass and 

 bamboo leaves lined with finer grasses. In some cases a little 

 other material may be njixed with tlie rest, such as dead leaves, a 

 little dry moss, or chips oF bracken frond. It is placed either 



Fig. 52. — Head of A. n. ncpalenms. 



in a bush some 12 inches to 4 feet from the ground or in a bamboo 

 clump. The eggs number two to four and vary in the most extra- 

 ordinary manner. The following are common types: — (i) Pure 

 white with sparse but bold dots and specks of deep purple; (2) 

 white with innumerable specks of lilac-red, (3) white to pale pink 

 with blotches and small spots of light red; (4) pale to salmon- 

 pink with clouds and smears all over of reddish ; (5) pure white 

 with a ring or cap ol deep purple lijies and hieroglyphics. The 

 first three are the most common. Two hundred eggs average 

 18-4 X 14-0 mm. 



The breeding season lasts from April to July, May being the 

 montii when most birds lay. 



Habits. The Nepal Babbler may be found at all heights from 

 a few inmdred feet up to 4,000 feet but its favourite elevations are 

 about half-way between the two. It gathers into small flocks in 

 the winter, sometimes however keei)ing in pairs, and it hunts all 

 kinds of cover, thick and tiiin, forest or bamboo, keeping to the 

 bushes and lower trees and showing a most restless energetic 

 disposition. At one moment it ma}^ be seen twisting backwards 

 and forwards, over and under the brandies, in its search for 

 insects, at another fluttering into the air in pursuit of a gnat or 

 fly, whilst, yet again, it may be seen racing along some bough 

 after a quickly travelling beetle or other prey. It is by no means 

 siiy and keeps uttering continually a little chattering call of several 



