SIMALIN&. ° 183 
strong bristles between the gape and the eyes, forming an almost 
vertical range curved stiffly outwards ; wing somewhat long; third 
quill longest ; fourth and fifth nearly equal to it ; second equal to 
the seventh ; feet and legs strong; tarsus moderately long, the 
middle-toe elongate ; laterals unequal; inner-toe very versatile ; 
hind-toe long ; all the claws slightly curved, 
Cheetornis striatus, Jerd. 
441.—Jerdon’s Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 72; Butler, Aboo and 
Northern Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. V, p. 209. 
THE Grass BABBLER. 
Length, 7 to 8:25; expanse, 11; wing, 3 to 3'5; tail, 3°75; 
tarsus, 1°1 ; bill at front, 0°48. 
Bill dusky-brown above, fleshy brown beneath; irides yellow- 
brown or dull grey in some ; legs brownish-fleshy. 
Above olive or yellowish-brown, the feathers all centred with 
deep brown; tail brownish, banded with dusky externally, and 
dusky along the centre of each feather, which is tipped fulvous- 
white, and the outer feathers have further a dark brown sub- 
terminal band; beneath the color is white, tinged with earthy- 
brown on the breast, and with a few dark specks. 
The Grass Babbler occurs in Central India, and is not uncommon 
in the neighbourhood of Deesa. 
It breeds during the rains, constructing a roundish nest of dry 
grass, with the entrance on one side near the top, which it places 
on the ground in the centre of alow bush. The eggs, four in 
number, are white in color, speckled all over with reddish-brown 
and pale lavender, more profusely at the large end. They 
strongly recall eggs of Franklinia buchanani, but are much 
larger, equalling those of Chatarrhaa caudata. 
Genus, Scheenicola, Blyth. 
Bill moderate, rather deep, much compressed, slightly curved 
on the culmen; a few strong rictal bristles; wings moderate, 
slightly rounded ; fourth quill longest; third quill equal to fifth ; 
tail moderate, very broad, soft ; tarsus long; toes grasping; plu- 
mage somewhat lax. 
Scheenicola platyurus, Jerdon. 
442.—Jerdon’s Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 73; Butler, Deccan ; 
Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 401. 
THE BROAD-TAILED REED BIRD. 
Length, 5°75 ; expanse, 8; wing, 2°5; tail, 2:5; tarsus, 0°88 ; 
bill at front, 0°4. 
Bill horny-yellow ; irides yellowish-brown ; legs fleshy-yellow. 
Above dark olive-brown; the feathers of the tail obsoletely 
barred ; beneath ochrey-yellowish. 
The Broad-tailed Reed Bird is very rare. Major Butler found 
