136 TIMALIID.E. 



Subfamily TIMALIIN^E. 



This subfamily, as now constituted, contains Oates's Crateropo- 

 dince and the Timaliince, which I find quite impossible to differ- 

 entiate by any satisfactory character one from the other. 



The great majority of the Timaliince are very gregarious and 

 go about in flocks of considerable size, a few consort in small 

 flocks, whilst fewer still are only found singly or in pairs. They 

 feed principally on the ground or in bushes and long grass close 

 to it, but some of them also haunt trees in their quest for the 

 insects which form their main diet. Some of the genera comprise 

 birds as noisy as any known, whilst others are birds with 

 sweet notes or are silent. The most prominent characteristics 

 are the very powerful legs and the weak, rounded wings. The 

 head is frequently fully crested, and is generally covered with 

 somewhat erectile feathers even where there is no definite 

 crest. The bill is of almost every conceivable shape. In 

 habits they are non- migratory, though some of the hill forms 

 move up and down the hills under climatic stress and, whilst 

 some species are very bold and haunt freely the vicinity of 

 villages, others are among the most shy. 



In the following key an attempt has been made to discriminate 

 between the genera in a way which will be easy for the field 

 naturalist to work out; size and plainly visible features in con- 

 struction being made use of. 



Key to Genera. 



A. Tail more than 88 mm. long. 

 . Bill not so long as head. 



'. Nostrils almost hidden by bristles DRYONASTKS, p. 138. 



V '. Nostrils visible and only partly concealed 



by bristles ' GARBUI-^X, p. 145. 



c'. Nostrils not hidden by bristles but some- 

 times with a few long hairs. 

 a". Bill not toothed at the extremity. 



'". Tail tipped with white or brown . lANTHOClNCLA,p.!55. 

 b'". Tail with no white or brown tip. 

 a 1 . Bill long and slender. 



rp. Wing longer than tail STACTOCiCHLA,p.l86. 



ft\ Wing shorter than tail. 

 a e . Shafts of feathers of forehead 



short and not glistening . . TURDOIDES, p. 190. 

 i 6 . Shafts of feathers of forehead 



long and glistening. 

 7 . Upper parts uniform, not 



streaked. 

 ". Feathers of breast not 



spinous ARGYA, p. 196. 



fr 5 . Feathers of breast spin- 

 ous ACANTHOPTILA,p.203. 



b 7 . Upper parts striated .... BABAX, p. 187. 



6 4 . Bill short and thick GRAMMATOPTILA, 



[p. 184. 



