200 TIMALIID.E. 



Description. Forehead and short line to the eye grey with 

 black streaks ; crown to back and scapulars ruddy brown, with 

 dark shaft-stripes ; rump and upper tail-coverts olive-brown, 

 the latter with faint stripes; tail olive-brown, cross-rayed; exposed 

 parts of wing olive-brown, some of the greater coverts indistinctly 

 dark-shafted ; ear-coverts and sides of the neck ruddy brown ; 

 lores black ; chin, throat, cheeks and upper breast white ; re- 

 mainder of lower plumage ferruginous. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris yellow or reddish brown ;'legs and 

 feet dark yellow ; bill pale yellow-horny, culmen and tip dark 

 horny-brown. 



Measurements. Length about 260 mm.; wing 78. to 83mm.; 

 tail about 140 rum. ; tarsus about 35 mm.; culmen about 19 to 

 20mm. 



Distribution. The dry zone of Central, North and South Burma. 



Nidification. That of the rest of the genus. The full clutch 

 seems to be four though often only three eggs are laid. Mr. 

 Mackenzie gives me the measurements of 60 eggs as follows : 

 average 22-6 x 17'1 mm. : maxima 24'7 X 17'2 and 23*5 x 18 2 mm.; 

 minima 20'6 x 17'0 and 22-0 x 16*0 mm. The breeding season 

 is from early April to late May. 



Habits. " The Zay-we is one of the most familiar birds of 

 Mauclalay and the dry zone generally, haunting both compounds 

 and jungle, and goes by the names of the 'seven sisters' or 

 ' rat-birds.' There is no mistaking them with their untidy dress, 

 dirty white shirt fronts and long, ragged tails. They cannot be 

 exactly called 'Laughing-Thrushes ' as they seem never happy, but 

 always complaining with their harsh, grating voices. They go 

 about together in parties, and generally seem very busy as they 

 hop about with tails held at different angles, hunting and turning 

 over the fallen leaves. When they have to fly, which they always 

 seem loth to do, they go in for a regular rocketing flight, with 

 their small, round wings extended and their tails spread out in 

 fans." (H. H. Harington.) 



(195) Argya malcolmi. 

 THE LARGE GREY BABBLER. 



Timalia malcolmi Sykes, P. Z. S., 1832, p. 88 (Dukhun). 

 Argya malcolmi. Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 108. 



Vernacular names. Gliorjoi (Hind.) ; Gangai (Hind, in N.W.P.) ; 

 Gongya (Can.); Kokatti (Mahr.); Verri-chinda and Gowa-sidii 

 {Tel'.); Bhaina (Luck now). 



Description. Upper plumage dull brown, the feathers of the 

 mantle with dark centres ; forehead bluish grey with h'ne white 

 shaft-streaks ; lores dusky ; ear-coverts brown with pale shafts ; 

 the three outer pairs of tail-feathers white, the fourth pair with 



