POMATORHINUS. 215 



when feeding. It is to be met with both in pairs and in small parties, 

 silent as a rule but occasionally bursting into a chorus of rather 

 sweet, full notes when anything of special interest is seen or if 

 suddenly disturbed. They slink about in a very rat-like manner 

 on the ground under the bushes but move from one piece of cover 

 to another in big bounds, only taking to wing when actually forced 

 to do so. Tliev fly much like the Laughing-Thrushes, alternate 

 sailings and furious flappings, tail bent up or down and wide- 

 spread and legs carried well forward and down unless the flight is 

 prolonged. They are not shy birds and are very inquisitive and 

 cannot resist a closer acquaintance with any novel sight or sound. 

 I have seen these birds mobbing a civet cat much as the birds of 

 the genera Turdoides and Argya will mob a village cat which 

 invades their territory. 



(212) Pomatorhinus ferruginosus albigularis. 

 BLTTII'S SCIMITAR-BABBLER. 



Pomatorhinus albic/ulans Blyth, J. A. S. B., xxiv, p. 274 (1855) 

 (Muleyit Mt.) ; Blanf. & Gates, i. p. 121. 



Vernacular names. None recorded. 



Description. Similar to the Coral-billed Scimitar-Babbler, but 

 the crown is very little darker than the back. A black line extends 

 above the white supercilium. The breast and abdomen are a very 

 pale ferruginous, or pale buff with a faint rufous tinge. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris creamy-white to bright yellow ; legs 

 and feet pale greenish or yellowish brown ; bill deep vermilion or 

 coral- red. 



Measurements. A rather larger bird than^7i?/m, with shorter 

 bill; wing about 95 to 100 mm. ; bill about 24 to 25 mm. 



Distribution. Mountains of Tenasserim South to Tavoy and 

 North to Karen Hills. , 



Nidification. Mr. K. Macdonald found it breeding on the Taok 

 plateau 60 miles east of Prome. The nest was of the usual type, 

 and the eggs, two or three in number, measured about 24*6 x 

 18-4 mm. 



Habits similar to those of the other races. 



(213) Pomatorhinus ferruginosus mariae. 

 WALDEN'S SCIMITAR-BABBLER. 



Pomatorhinus maria Walden, A. M. N. H., xv, p. 403 (1875) 

 (Tounghoo Hills). 



Vernacular names. None recorded. 



Description. This is a pale form of albigulciris, and the under 

 parts are very pale buff with no tinge of rufous. 



