232 TIMALIID.E. 



Nidification. Breeds in forest, making a shallow cup-shaped 

 nest of dead leaves, a scrap or two of moss, one or two tiny twigs, 

 all carelessly and untidily bound together with cobwebs and lined 

 with fine roots and tendrils. The whole structure reminds one 

 more of a Cuckoo-Shrike's nest rather than that of a Babbler. 

 One found by myself was built in a small fork of a straggly bush, 

 quite unconcealed and easily reached by hand. It contained four 

 eggs with a pale yellowish ground-colour well covered with 

 freckles, specks and blotches of reddish brown, numerous every- 

 where but more so at the larger end. They were much like large, 

 dully coloured and brown eggs of Copsyclius. They measured 

 23-1 X 17*1 mm., and were taken, very hard-set, on the 9th August. 



Habits. This curious Babbler is found during the cold weather 

 principally between 1,000 and 2,500 feet, frequenting bamboo-, 

 bush- and grass-jungle and, less often, secondary growth. In the 

 breeding season it is found nearly up to 4,000 feet, and then 

 deserts the lighter form of cover for the densest and dampest 

 forests. It is like the birds of the genera Garndax and Trochalo- 

 pterum in being very gregarious and very noisy, but, unlike 

 them, keeps entirely to trees and bamboos and never works 

 on the ground for its food. They are intensely curious and 

 by no means shy, and will allow close observation Avithout 

 resentment. They fly fairly well and are much more active on 

 the wing titan most of the Timaliidce. 



(233) Gampsorhynchus rufulus torquatus. 

 THE EiNtt-NECKEO SHRIKE-BABBLEK. 



Gampsorhynchus torquatus Hume, P. A. S. B., 1874, p. 107 ( Young- 

 zalin River) ; Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 136. 



Vernacular names. None recorded. 



Description. Differs from G. r. rufulus in having the upper 

 plumage rufous-brown ; the outer webs of the first primaries and 

 the tips of all horny-grey ; the tail is edged and tipped with 

 white instead of buff and the sides of the neck are marked with 

 rufous and black. 



Colours of soft parts as in the last bird, but the legs are described 

 as " greyish white, slaty white or fleshy white with a blue tinge." 



Measurements as in White-headed Shrike-Babbler. 



Distribution. The Toungoo Hills and Karenni to Tenas- 

 serim. 



Nidification unknown. 



Habits do not seem to differ from those of the White-headed 

 Shrike-Babbler. Davison procured them both in bamboo and 

 evergreen forest. 



