192 TIMALIID.E. 



tana to Bengal, south to Orissa, across to about the latitude of 

 Bombay. 



Nidification. The Jungle-Babbler breeds principally in June 

 and July after the break of the monsoou, but odd nests with eggs 

 may be found any time from March to September. They are 

 built of grass, leaves, roots, etc., carelessly bound together with 

 weeds, twigs and tendrils, and lined with grass or roots, and they 

 may be placed in any kind of bush or tree at heights of a few 

 inches only to 30 feet from the ground. The usual number 

 of eggs is four, but Inglis has taken seven from the same nest, all 

 apparently Turdoides eggs, and not those of the Common Hawk- 

 Cuckoo or Pied Cuckoo, both of which victimize this Babbler very 

 freely. It is sometimes difficult to tell the Cuckoos' eggs from 

 those of their fosterers, but as a rule they are much less glossy, 

 a softer, more satiny texture and more elliptical in shape. The 

 Babblers' eggs are typically a deep Hedge-sparrow blue, intensely 

 glossy, and 100 eggs average about 25-2 x 19'6 mm. 



Habits. The " Seven Sisters " have obtained this name from 

 the fact that they go about in flocks of six to a dozen, but very 

 frequently numbering exactly seven, and their sisterhood or 

 brotherhood they show by the manner in which each individual 

 resents any interference from outside to any of the party yet 

 retains full liberty to argue, disagree and fight with any one or 

 all of the other six. They are noisy, hysterical and active birds 

 so long as they are not forced to fly, and anything out of the 

 common at once attracts their attention and calls forth a babel of 

 comment and assertion which rises crescendo until something else 

 diverts them. Their excitement seems to be equally intense and 

 voluble whether caused by some mere insect or by the murder of 

 one of their party by a Hawk. They may be scattered at the 

 moment, but within a second or two all have taken a few pro- 

 digious hops and have collected together either to discuss the 

 object of interest or to defend the member in danger. They are 

 very brave birds, and when attacked throw themselves on their 

 back and fight with bill and claws, whilst their comrades throw 

 themselves with fury on the assailant, whether cat, hawk or some 

 smaller vermin. They seem to prefer the vicinity of humanity to 

 the wilds, but are found over their whole range where the country 

 is sufficiently, yet not too, densely wooded. 



(184) Turdoides terricolor malabaricus. 



THE SOUTHERN JUNGLE-BABBLER. 

 Malacocercus malabaricus Jerd, B. of I.,ii, p. 62 (1877) (Malabar). 



Vernacular names. Pedda sida (Tel.). 



Description. Differs from the northern bird in being very 

 much darker both above and below, most noticeably so on the 



