176 TIMALIID^E. 



Trocbalopterum cachinnans. 



Key to Subspecies. 



A. Lores, chin and a line through the eye 



black T. c. cachinnans, p. 170. 



B. Lores rusty brown ; chin dark brown ; 



no line through eye T. c. cinnamomeum, p. 177. 



(165) Trocbalopterum cachinnans cachinnans. 

 THE NILGIRI LAUGHING-THRUSH. 



Crateropus cachinnans Jerd., Madr. Jour, x, p. 255, pi. 7 (1839) 



(Nilgiris). 

 Trocbalopterum cachinnans. Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 97. 



Vernacular names. None recorded. 



Description. Point of forehead black; sides of the forehead 

 and broad supercilium white; crown and nape slaty-brown, the 

 feathers very narrowly margined with black ; the lateral feathers 

 .of the forehead and crown black on their inner, white on the 

 outer, webs, forming a black line above the supercilium ; lores, 

 chin and a streak behind the eye black ; feathers of the eyelid 

 white ; ear-coverts pale rufous ; sides of the nape ashy at the end 

 .of the supercilia, this colour suffusing the whole of the nape ; 

 upper plumage, sides of neck, wings and tail olive-brown ; throat 

 and breast bright rufous ; abdomen a duller rufous ; thighs, vent, 

 under tail-coverts and sides of the body rufescent olive-brown ; 

 under wing-coverts rufous. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris red-brown to crimson ; legs, feet 

 and bill black. 



Measurements. Length about 225 to 235 mm. : wing 92 to- 

 96mm.; tail about 100 mm. ; tarsus 30 to 32 mm.; culmen about 

 16 to 18 mm. 



Distribution. Nilgiris, from 4,500 feet upwards. 



Nidification. Breeds from February to the end of June- 

 throughout its range. The nest is made of grass, leaves, moss, 

 small twigs .and other miscellaneous bits, and is lined with roots 

 and fibre and frequently with fur, cotton-wool or feathers. In 

 shape it is a very deep cup, rather bulky but compact, and it is 

 placed in an upright fork of some bush or small tree in forest. 

 The eggs are nearly always two in number, sometimes three but 

 never more. In ground-colour they are a pale, rather washed- 

 out blue and are speckled and blotched with reddish or pinkish 

 brown, a few eggs having also one or two darker spots or hair- 

 lines. They average about 25'0 x 18*8 mm. 



Habits. This Laughing-Thrush is extremely common all over 

 the Nilgiris above 4,000 feet wherever there is sufficient cover^ 

 It is always found in parties, sometimes consisting of a dozen or 

 more birds, and is one of the noisiest of the family, though its- 



