190 TIMALIIDE. 
they seldom show themselves. Their food is chiefly, perhaps 
wholly, insectivorous, and their call is said to consist of two 
harsh notes, rapidly repeated. 
Genus TURDOIDES Cretzschmar, 1826. 
This genus contains the well-known Babblers called ‘ The 
Seven Sisters” over so great a part of India. Unfortunately 
we cannot employ either Crateropus or Malacocercus as a name for 
the genus, and it must now be known as T'urdoides. 
It differs from the True Laughing-Thrushes of the preceding 
genera in having the covering membrane of the nostrils more or 
less covered by plumes, though they have no overhanging hairs. 
The rictal bristles are short and stout and the feathers of the 
forehead short, firm and close. The tail is about the same in 
length as the wing and well graduated, the outermost pair being 
about two-thirds the length of the central feathers. The wing is 
short and rounded, the third or fourth primary being the longest. 
There are two species which call for remark in this genus, 
Turdoides rufescens and Turdoides cinereifrons. The former, the 
Ceylon Babbler, is supposed to differ in having the feathers of 
the forehead bare at the tips and spinous; it has accordingly been 
generically separated with Argya subrufa as Layardia. The differ- 
ence seems to me very minute, sometimes hardly visible, and does 
not constitute sufficient cause for removal to another genus. 
The other characteristic, referred to by Harington, is the more 
slender, wholly black bill, but the difference between this and the 
shorter yellow bill of others is bridged over by the intermediate 
yellow and black bill of Argya subrufa. 
The second bird, the Ashy-headed Babbler, differs only from 
typical Zurdoides in having a longer bill, coloured black instead 
of pale yellow or white as in the other species. There does not 
appear to be any other difference, and though when first seen the 
bird appears to be nearer Garrulax or Dryonastes than Turdoides, 
I can see no sufticient reason for instituting a new genus for it. 
Its habits and nidification may assist when these are known. 
Key to Species and Subspecies. 
A. Throat ashy, mottled with pale brown ; 
breast ashy-fulvous. 
a. Upper plumage paler with very in- 
distinct shaft-streaks .......... T. terricolor terricolor, p. 191. 
6. Upper plumage darker and browner 
with distinct shaft-streaks ...... T. t. malabaricus, p. 192. 
c. Paler and more grey everywhere, 
with shaft-streaks chsolete......  Z'. ¢. stndianus, p. 198. 
B. Throat and breast dark brown or 
black with ashy margins. 
d. Tail ashy and brown; primaries 
edged paler. 
