310 TIMALIID®. 
Key to Species and Subspecies. 
A. Crown chestnut-rufous ..,........ ... WS. castaneiceps, p. 310. 
B. Crown dark brown, no supercilium .... 8. striata striata, p. 311. 
C. Crown dark grey with white supercilium.. 8. s. rufigenis, p. 311. 
(330) Staphidia castaneiceps. 
Tun CHESTNUL-HEADED STAPHIDIA. 
Ivulus castaneiceps Moore, P.Z.S., 1854, p. 141 (Afghanistan im 
ervore) (Cachar). 
Staphidia castaneiceps. Blant. & Oates, i, p. 205. 
Vernacular names. Dao-tisha-magini (Cachar1). 
Description. Forehead chestnut-brown, the feathers margined 
with grey ; crown and erest chestnut ; upper plumage and visible 
portions of wines and tail greenish brow n, the back and scapulars 
with white shafts ; middle tail- feathers and concealed webs 
blackish brown, outer feathers broadly tipped white, the tips 
decreasing in extent until they disappear in the central ones ; 
lores grey; a short supercilium from above the eye white; ear- 
coverts chestnut with whitish shalts; lower plumage and under 
wing-coverts pale fulvous white; under tail-coverts brown tipped 
with white. 
Colours of soft parts. Irides pale hazel; bill rather light 
reddish-horny, gape and base of both mandibles purplish ; legs 
dull reddish or flesh-colour, claws dusky fiesh-colour. 
Measurements. Length aot 135 mm. ; wing 66 to 70 mm.; tail 
about 58 mm.; tarsus about 14 mm.; culmen about 7°5 to 8 mm. 
Distribution. Assam Hills South of the Brahmaputra as far 
East as the Naga Hills and Soutn to Lushai. According to 
Godwin-Austen ee bird has also been found in the Dafla Ele 
Nidification. This pretty little Babbler breeds all over its range 
between 2,000 and 5,000 feet, principally about 5,000 feet. The 
breeding season begins in the middle of April and ends in the 
middle of July and the nest is nearly always placed in holes in 
small perpendicular banks, those beside paths cut through the 
jungle being a very favourite site. They are placed only just 
inside the Hole often very indifferently concealed, and are made 
of some very soft fibrous material like tow, the surrounding 
portion of the nest being of weed stems, moss and leaves, more 
or less mixed with shreds of grass. The eges number three or 
four and are broad, obtuse ovals, pure glossy white with fairly 
numerous specks and spots of vandyke-brown or reddish-brown, 
sometimes scattered over the whole surface, sometimes confined 
for the most part to the larger end, where they may form a rough 
ring orcap. 150 eggs ay oe 16-6 x 135 mm., the extremes being 
18:0x 14:0; 16°2x14:2 mm.; 15:0x15°0 Anal 5-2 Sollee 
Habits. It is found ne the non-breeding season in smal) 
flocks, the individuals keeping very near to one another. They 
keep closely to the tops of the higher bushes and smaller saplings, 
