224 TIMALIID A. 
Description. Differs from the preceding bird in being a richer 
olive-brown above and in having the rufous head- patch streaked 
with white, the streaks increasing in size and extending on to the 
rufous of the neck and shoulders. 
Colours of soft parts. The legs and feet vary a good deal, being 
pale bluish green, very pale brow n, or pale w hitish blue ; the 
upper mandible pale brown, the lower mandible pale whitish blue ; 
iris pale to dark brown and brownish red; naked patch behind 
the eye flesh-colour, more or less strongly tinged blue (Hume & 
Davison). 
Measurements as in P. h. hypoleucus. 
Distribution. Tenasserim. 
Nidification. Mr. C. Hopwood describes its nest as like that of 
the Arrakan Scimitar-Babbler, but placed in clumps of bamboo 
and made of tendrils, twigs and roots. It breeds apparently 
from January to March, and lays two or three white eggs 
measuring about 30'2 x 22-7 mm. 
Habits. Davison remarks that this Babbler keeps much to 
thick undergrowth, either in pairs or small parties, keeping to the 
ground more exclusively than any of the other Scimitar-Babblers 
known by him. 
Genus XIPHIRAMPHUS Blyth, 1843 
The genus Xiphiramphus differs only from Pomatorhinus in 
having a much longer, more slender and still nore curved bill. It 
contains but one species. 
Fig. 37.—Head of . superciliaris. 
(226) Xiphiramphus superciliaris. 
THe SLENDER-BILLED ScIMITAR-BABBLER. 
Xiphiramphus superciliaris Blyth, J. A. 8S. B., xi, p. 175 (1842) 
(Sikkim); Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 128. 
Vernacular names. Aarriok-tamveep (Lepcha). 
Description. Lores black; chin and throat white streaked with 
ashy ; a white supercilium, the rest of the head slaty-grey ; upper 
plumage bright rufous-brown ; tail dark brown or blackish, the 
