294 TIMALIID.T'. 



neutral tint, pi-incipally disposed as a ring round tlie larger end. 

 They measure about 17'4 x IS-'^j mm. Mr. Stevens's nests were 

 taken on the 29th May and 3rd June at about 9,000 feet. 



Habits. Stevens found them in pairs haunting shrubs in dense 

 forest between G,000 and 9,000 feet elevation. 



Subfamily SIBIIN^.*. 



This subfamily' differs from tlie Timalnna- in having longer 

 wings and com]mratively shorter, weaker tarsi and feet. Togetlier 

 with these features they have different habits, as one would have 

 expected. They are strictly arboreal, seldom, if ever, feeding on 

 the ground, nor do they scramble and climb about the under- 

 growth but hop from one branch to another, take easily to flight, 

 and are not nearly so noisy as the last group of biixls. 



The sexes are alike in plumage and often brightly coloured. 



This subfamil}' remains much as in Blanford and Gates, but the 

 genus Zosterops is removed en bloc to a family by itself, Zosteropido' 

 of Sharpe. 



The genus Aciinochira I retain iu this subfamily with some 

 doubt, as in many ways it approaches the previous subfamily, 

 especially in its nidification, but on the whole it appears to be 

 properly placed where it is. 



A>7/ io Genera. 



A. Tail riearlj^ twice the leiif>th of wing Sibia, p. 295. 



B. Tail and wing not differing much in length. 

 a. Tail-featheis graduated. 



a' . All the tail-feathers graduated. 



a". Tail longer than wing; the outer 

 tail-featliers falling short of tip of 

 tail by a distance equal to length 

 of tarsu.s. 



a" . Wings not barred Leioptila, p. 1^96. 



b'". Wings barred AcTiNOcrRA, p. 303. 



h". Tail not longer tlian wing; tlie outer 



tail-feathers falling short of the tip of 



tail by less than the length of tarsus. 



c'". Nostrils not overhung by hairs; 



wings barred Ixops, p. 307. 



d'". Nostrils overhung by hairs and 



wings not barred Staphidia. p. 309. 



* The subfainily Bmcln/plrri/i/incB does not belong to the Tuiialiidce at all. 

 Gates realized tlieir close connection with tlie TunUclcB but placed them in liis 

 Cratertypoilid (p. on the ground that the plumage of the young was like that of 

 the parent, whereas it has been proved that in Larvivora, BracliypieriiA- and 

 Drymochares all have spotted young. The genera Myiophoneus and Arrcnga 

 are true Thrushes; FJaj)hror)iis appears to be a Warbler somewhere near 

 Trihura ; Tet^ia and Oligura are Wrens, Troglodyiida ; and tlie other genera 

 short-winged Chat.s which may be retained in a subfamily, Brachyptcrj/ipiKS, 

 in the Turdidce. Alt these genera will be found in their appropriate places 

 in future volumes. 



