PELLORNEUM. 241 



Nidiflcation. Mandelli's Babbler breeds from March to May, a 

 second brood being very often found from May to July or even 

 August. Their favourite elevation is between 2,000 and 3,000 feet 

 and their favourite country bamboo-jungle, the lightest of grass or 

 scrub undergrowth, or poor secondary growth in deserted culti- 

 vation ; more rarely their nests may be found in undergrowth of 

 forests. Wherever found the nests are always on the ground 



Fig. 43. Head of P. 



unless in bamboo clumps a few inches to 2 or 3 feet above 

 it. They are made of grass and bamboo leaves, or of the latter 

 th 



alone merely lined with grass and in shape are large oval 

 Sometimes, when the fallen leaves lie so thick as to completely 

 hide the nest, this is merely a deep cup or semi-domed affair and 

 I have seen such buried deep in piles of bamboo leaves and dead 

 grass. They are very fond of placing their nests at the edge of 

 elephant or gaur tracks, where it seems a wonder they can escape 

 being trampled on. The eggs, three or four in number, are like 

 those of P. r. ruficeps, but are perhaps rather more richly marked 

 on the whole. 200 eggs average 22-4 x 16*3 mm. ; maxima 

 2419 x 17-1 and 217 X 18'8 mm. ; minima 20-5 x 16-1 and 20-6 x 

 15-3 mm. 



Habits. During the winter this little Babbler goes about either 

 in pairs or family parties of five or six, frequenting the kind of 

 cover described above. They are very restless, energetic birds, 

 constantly on the move and keeping up a never-ending chatter 

 amongst themselves. They feed both on the ground and on 

 bushes and grass, and from their partiality to thin cover are easy 

 to watch as long as one keeps perfectly still, but a movement of 

 hand or foot sends them scuttling off into denser cover, whence 

 they loudly expostulate against the disturber. They have many 

 sweet notes as well as harsh ones, but their prevailing note is that 

 of the genus, a constantly repeated " pretty-dear, pretty-dear." 



(244) Pellorneum ruficeps jonesi. 

 THE WESTERN SPOTTED BABBLER. 



Pellorneum ruficeps jonesi Stuart Baker, Bull. B. 0. C. xli, p. 9 

 (1920) (Kalka). 



Vernacular names. None recorded. 



Description. Differs from Mandelli's Babbler in having the 

 general tone of plumage more brown and less olive ; the cap is 

 TOL. i. R 



