326 TIMALIID^. 



these cases the same individual egg gives tlie extremes in breadth 

 and lengtli. 



Habits very like those of I.vnlns but Erpornis seems to keep 

 much to the tops of very high trees. In the non-breeding season 

 it is not usually found in heavy forest but prefers the thiinier out- 

 skirts of big forests or the smaller forests which generally fill the 

 ravines and pockets in the grass-lands. It was common in 

 the thin deciduous forest in the North of the N. Cachar Hdls, 

 where we found it in small parties diligently hunting the smaller 

 branches and twigs for insects. It is a very silent bird and I have 

 not heard its note. 



Subfamily LIOTRICHINtE. 



This subfamily contains a number of genera the placing of 

 many of which is a matter of no little difficulty. Since Gates 

 wrote the first vokime of the first edition of the Avifauna we 

 have learnt a good deal which has enabled us to eliminate several 

 genera which are obviously noii-Timaliine, but further examination 

 of material anatomicall}" may assist us to place yet others in more 

 suitable positions than the present. 



Of the 16 genera included by Gates in his Liotrichiva', the 

 following five have been removed to other families. Irom is now 

 placed in Gberholser's new Family Irenida' ; MelanocliJora has been 

 transferred to the Titmouses, Paridce, ; Le/ptopoecile and Cepludo- 

 pyrus have been included in the lier/ididce, whilst Psaraglossa is 

 a true Starling and will be found in the Sturnidoi. 



Gf the remaining genera there are still some whose position is 

 especially doubtful. Ciitia aud Ptemthius liave, it has been sug- 

 gested, many affinities with the Campejihagidce and Harington 

 claims that tlieir nidification also proves tliis ; to me, however, the 

 nidification seems to point strongly to a position somewhere near 

 J'ldiina, Lvidns etc. and, for the present, the reasons for their 

 retention in the subfamily seem greater than for their rejection. 



The position of Myzornis is problematical, and careful 

 examination of pterylosis and anatomy and a correct knowledge 

 of its breeding habits are urgently required. Chloropsis is in the 

 same group as Acthorhync/ms and j3£githina and seems to be in 

 many ways intermediate between the Timaliidn and Pycnonotidce, 

 the fact that the sexes differ seeming to determine their position 

 in the former rather than the latter. Ilypocollns is a very curious 

 bird with a vei*y sliort first primary and may eventually have 

 to be placed in a family by itself. 



The subfamily as now restricted differs from the previous sub- 

 i'amilies of the Timaliidcf and from the Pycnonotidce in having the 

 sexes differing in coloration ; the j'oung are very like the adults 

 but rather duller ; the wing and tail are generally not greatly 

 different in length ; the first primary, with the exception of 

 Hi/pocolius, is about half the length of the second ; the wing is 

 fairly rounded but longer and more pointed than in the preceding 



