224 TIMALIID.l'. 



Description. Differs from the preceding bird in being a richer 

 olive-brown above and in having the rufous head-patch streaked 

 with white, the streaks increasing iu size and extending on to the 

 rufous of the neck and shoulders. 



Colours of soft parts. The legs and feet vary a good deal, being 

 pale bluish green, very pale brown, or pale whitish blue ; the 

 upper mandible pale brown, the lower mandible pale whitish blue; 

 iris pale to dark brown and brownish red ; naked patch behind 

 the eye flesh-colour, more or less strongly tinged blue {Hume <3f 

 Davison). 



Measurements as in P. Ji. hypoleucus. 



Distribution. Tenasserim. 



Nidification. Mr. C. Hop wood describes its nest as like that of 

 the Arrakan Scimitar-Babbler, but placed in clumps of bamboo- 

 and made of tendrils, twigs and roots. It breeds apparently 

 from January to March, and lays two or three white eggs 

 measuring about 3O2 x 22*7 mm. 



Habits. Davison remarks that this Babbler keeps much to 

 thick undergrowth, either in pairs or small parties, keeping to the 

 ground more exclusively than any of the other Scimitar-Babblers 

 known by him. 



Genus XIPHIRAMPHUS Blyth, 1843. 



The genus Xiphiram[)hus differs only from Pomatorhinus in 

 having a much longer, more slender and still more curved bill. It 

 contains but one species. 



Fig. 37. Head of X. sitpercil 



(226) Xiphiramphus superciliaris. 

 THE SLENDER-BILLED SCIMITAB-BABBLEH. 



XipJtirnntphus superciliaris Blyth, J. A. S. B., xi, p. 175 (1842) 

 (Sikkim) ; Blanf. & Gates, i," p. 128. 



Vernacular names. Kari-iok-tamveep (Lepcha). 



Description. Lores black ; chin and throat white streaked with 

 ashy ; a white supercilium, the rest of the head slaty-grey ; upper 

 plumage bright rufous-brown ; tail dark brown or blackish, the- 



