BABAX. 189 
Distribution. Chin Hills. 
Nidification. Nests taken by Venning and Grant in the Chin 
Hills are described as open cups made of dead leaves and coarse 
grass stems lined with roots and placed in low thorny bushes on 
open hillsides or near swamps. They were found in April and 
May, and contained from two to three eggs similar to those of 
the preceding subspecies and measuring about 2775 x 20-4 mm. 
Habits. This Babax is found from 5,000 to at least 9,000 feet, 
haunting the same kind of country as the last bird, which it 
closely resembles in all its habits. 
+ (182) Babax waddelli. 
Tne Grant Trpet BaBax. 
Babax waddelli Dresser, P. Z. S., 1905, i, p. 54 (Tsang po, Tibet). 
Vernacular names. Sorio, T'eh-teh (Tibet); Ayu-mo (Gyantse, 
Tibet). 
Description. Whole plumage ashy-grey; above with broad 
streaks of blackish brown edged with dull chestnut ; below with 
narrower streaks but with the chestnut brighter; centre of belly, 
vent, under tail-coverts and thighs cinereous ashy without 
stripes; on the ear-coverts the central marks are obsolete, but on 
the cheeks form a broad, black moustachial stripe. 
Colours of soft parts. Iris yellow; bill black; legs dark brown. 
Measurements. Wing 132 to 140 mm.; tail 148 to 160 mm. ; 
tarsus 40 to 43 mm.; culmen 33 to 37 mmm. 
Distribution. South Tibet and the extreme north-east of 
Sikkim *. 
Nidification. The Giant Babax breeds freely in South Tibet 
from 11,000 to 14,000 feet, or higher, during May, June and 
July, a few odd birds breeding both earlier and later. The nest 
is a large, rather rough cup of grass, dead leaves, fern fronds, 
roots, wool, etc., lined with finer roots and fern stems or fine 
grass. It measures externally some 7 inches in diameter by 3 to 4 
deep, and has an internal cup of about 4’ by 2” or rather less. 
It is placed low down in the small thorny bushes which cover 
parts of the Tibetan plateaus or in willow-trees and small 
saplings. The eggs are two or three in number and similar to 
those of the last but averaging about 33:1 x 21:6 mm. 
Habits. This is a very common Babax over the greater portion 
of South Tibet, going about in small parties of five or six birds 
and having all the habits of the true Laughing-Thrushes. They 
are great skulkers, keeping much to the ground or to the lower 
bushes and scrub, and though they come close to dwelling-houses, 
* Babax koslowi, an all rufous bird with obsolete streaks only, is found on 
the Mekong watershed and is sure to enter parts of N. Burma, 
