PASSERINE BIRDS OF CEYLON. 47 



Habits. — May be looked for in fern lands, stretches of 

 mana grass, low jungle, lantana scrub, and thick under- 

 growth. It keeps to cover during the day, but in the even- 

 ings is fond of perching at the top of a bush, giving out its 

 call, which Leggc describes as a plaintive whistle of two 

 notes varied with a peculiar mewing call. The breeding 

 season extends from February to M&y. The nest is a deep 

 cup of grass and cobwebs, lined inside with fine grass and roots, 

 and placed in the fork of a shrub or in a tuft of mana grass. 

 The three or four eggs are of fleshy-white, spotted, mainly 

 at the larger end, with brownish-sienna, occasionally over- 

 laid with brick red. Average size "78 by -.58. 



SCOTOCICHLA FUSCICAPILLA. 



The Brown-capped Babbler. 



Pellorueum fuscicapillum (Oates, Vol. I., p. 143 ; Legge, p. 510). 



Description. — -Forehead, crown, and nape deep chocolate, 

 with brighter shafts ; rest of upper parts, wings, and tail 

 dark olive-brown, the feathers of the upper back and wing 

 coverts with paler shafts, the edges of the primary quills 

 lighter rufous ; the lores, sides of head and neck, and all the 

 lower parts rusty rufous, the colour lieing deeper on the cheeks 

 and ear coverts and paler on the chin and abdomen ; in some 

 specimens the sides of the neck and breast are faintly streaked. 



Bill, upper mandible deep brown with pale margins, lower 

 mandible flesh-coloured ; iris light to dark red ; legs and feet 

 brownish flesh colour. 



Length 6 •5; mng 2* (J; tail 2-5; tarsus I'l; bill from 

 gape "8. 



Distribution. — Peculiar to Ceylon. Fairly common in 

 jungle undergrowth all over the wooded portions of the low- 

 country and up to about 5,500 feet. Birds from the drier 

 districts are paler than those from the wet zone. A pale 

 specimen from Trincomalee has lately been distinguished as 

 8. f. dubauUi, but until more material is available, I am not 

 in favour of any sub-specific distinction. 



