38 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



Since, however, the rainfall zones in Ceylon are rather com- 

 plicated I have hesitated to accept a sub-specific division 

 based solely on paler shades of plumage. The geographical 

 distribution of the resultant sub-species would be about as 

 scattered as that of the county of Cromarty, while in all 

 probability, if large series were collected from all parts of the 

 Island, at least six out of every ten specimens would have to be 

 classed as " intermediate," while only one or two would be 

 recognized as belonging definitely to the darker or lighter races. 

 In some cases, too, the variation appears to be as much in- 

 dividual as local, and any attempted subdivision would offend 

 against the rule that no two sub-species of the same species can 

 be resident in the same locality. Far more material, than 

 is at present available, is required before any subdivision of 

 such forms can be indisputably accepted. 



The Ceylon members of the four sub-families may be divided 

 thus : — 



( 1 ) Crateropodinse. — Larger Babblers over 8 inches in length ; 

 sexes alike ; gregarious ; partly arboreal and partly terres- 

 trial, and extremely noisy ; legs and feet large ; wing short 

 and rounded ; nostrils not completely hidden by plumes and 

 feathers. All the Ceylon forms lay unspotted white or blue 

 eggs. 



(2) Timeliinas. — Smaller Babblers under 7 inches in length ; 

 sexes alike ; solitary or found only in small troops ; not 

 noisy, and generally skulking in bushes, or on the ground 

 among undergrowth ; legs and feet strong ; wings short and 

 rounded ; nostrils exposed. All Ceylon forms lay spotted 

 eggs. 



(3) Liotrichinse. — Bush Bulbuls and Green Bulbuls. Sexes 

 dissimilar ; solitary or found in small troops ; brightly 

 coloured ; entirely arboreal. The eggs in all Ceylon species 

 are streakily marked. 



(4) Brachypodinse. — True Bulbuls. Sexes alike ; solitary 

 or found in small troops ; habits arboreal ; tarsus very short ; 

 wings rounded, but moderately long ; nape usually furnished 

 with some long hairs. The eggs are spotted, almost invariably, 

 with some shade of red. 



