310 timaltidj:. 



Keji to Species and Suhspecies. 



A. Cro-wn chestiiut-riifoiis . . , , » S. castaneiceps, p. 310. 



B. Crown davlc brown, no superciliuni .... S. striata striata, p. 311. 



C. Crown dark grey with white supercilium.. S. s.ri{fif/enis,'^. 311. 



(330) Staphidia castaneiceps. 



The CnESTNFx-nEADED Staphidia. 



Ixnlus castaneiceps Moove, P. Z. S., 18-54,''p. 141 (Afghanistan in 



errore) (Cachar). 

 Staplndia castaneiceps. Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 205. 



Vernacular names. Dao-tisha-magini (Cachari). 



Description. Forehead cliestiuit-brown, the feathers margined 

 with grey ; cro\^■n and crest cliestiuit ; upper plumage and visible 

 portions ot" wings and tail greenish brown, the back and scapulars 

 with white shafts; middle tail-feathers and concealed webs 

 blackish brown, outer feathers broadly tipped white, the tips 

 decreasing m extent until they disapj^ear in the central ones ; 

 lores grey ; a short supercilium from above the eye white ; ear- 

 coverts chestnut with whitish shafts ; lower plumage and under 

 wing-coverts pale fidvous white ; under tail-coverts brown tipped 

 with wliite. 



Colours of soft parts. Irides pale hazel ; bill rather light 

 reddish-horny, gajie and base of both mandibles purplish ; legs 

 dull reddish or tlesh-colonr, claws dusky flesh-colour. 



Measurements. Length about 135 nun. ; wing 6G to 70 mm.; tail 

 about 58 mm. ; tarsus about 14 mm. ; culmen about 7"5 to 8 mm. 



Distribution. -Assam Hills South of the Brahmaputra as far 

 East as the Xaga Hills and South to Lushai. According to 

 Godwin-Austen this bird has also been found in the Dafla Hills. 



Nidification. This pretty little Babbler breeds all over its range 

 betueen 2,000 and 5,000 feel, principally about 3,000 feet. The 

 breeding season begins in the middle of April and ends in the 

 middle of July and tlie nest is nearly always placed in holes in 

 small perpendicular banks, those beside patlis cut through the 

 jungle being a very favourite site. They are placed onlj' just 

 inside the hole, often A^er^y indifferently concealed, and are made 

 of some very soft fibrous material like tow, the surrounding 

 portion of the nest being of weed stems, moss and leaves, more 

 or less mixed with shreds of grass. The eggs number three or 

 four and are broad, obtuse ovals, pure glossy white with fairly 

 numerous specks and spots of vandyke-brown or reddish-brown, 

 sometimes scattered over the whole surface, sometimes confined 

 for the most part to the larger end, where they may form a rough 

 ring or cap. 150 eggs average 10'6 x 13'.5 mm., the extremes being 

 18-0x1 4-0; 10-2 X 14-2 mm.; 15-Ox 13-0 and lo-2xl2-3 mm. 



Habits. It is found during the non-breeding season in small 

 flocks, the individuals keeping very near to one another. They 

 keep closely to the tops of the higher bushes and smaller saplings, 



