PYCTORHIS. 235 



Description. " Upper parts, especially head, saturated ; very 

 dark brown, paling only on the rump. Chestnut colour of wings 

 darker " (Ticehurst). 



Colours of soft parts and Measurements as in the last. 



Distribution. "Bhutan and Buxa Dooars, Sikkim" (Ticehurst). 

 I cannot distinguish this bird from those obtained in Nepal and 

 the whole of West Assam, North of the Brahmaputra. Birds from 

 the South of this river and from Bengal and the Chin Hills are 

 nearer the typical form. 



Nidification similar to that of the typical race and 12 eggs in 

 my collection average exactly the same as those of that bird. 



Habits. This is a common bird in all the wide grass-covered 

 areas from the foot-hills up to at least 6,000 feet. It has, of 

 course, exactly the same habits as the last bird, from which it is 

 only very slightly distinguished in colour. 



(236) Pyctorhis sinensis nasalis. 

 THE CEYLON YELLOW-EYED BABBLER. 



Pyctorhis nasalis Legge, A. M. N. H., (5) iii, p. 169 (1879) (Ceylon) ; 

 Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 138. 



Vernacular names. Yerra-Kali-jitta (Tel.). 



Description. Differs from P. s. sinensis in having the exposed 

 portions of the wing-quills concoiorous with the back, and in 

 having more white on the sides of the head. 



Colours of soft, parts similar to the typical form, but with very 

 little or no yellow about the nostrils. 



Measurements. A rather smaller bird than the Indian form ; 

 wing 59 to 63 mm. and other measurements in proportion. 



Distribution. Ceylon only. 



Nidification. Breeds from December (TF. IF. A. Phillips) to 

 May (Legge), making a nest similar to that of P. s. sinensis but 

 laying only two or three eggs. The few eggs I have seen resemble 

 the most common type of egg described above for P. s. sinensis, 

 but they only measure 17'5x 13-8 mm. (19-4 x 14-4 mm., Hume}. 



Habits. The same as those of the preceding subspecies. 



(237) Pyctorhis altirostris altirostris. 

 JERDON'S BABBLER. 



Chrysomma altirostris Jerd., Ibis, 1862, p. 22 (Thayetmyo). 

 Pyctorhis altirostris. Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 139. 



Vernacular names. None recorded. 



Description. Forehead and a broad stripe to the eye hoary grey 



