250 TIMALIIDjE. 



Birds in intermediate plumage have the forehead and a varying 

 amount of the sides of the head white ; the chin and throat 

 become pure white, and even the upper breast loses many of the 

 streaks. 



The adult plumage seems to take some time to acquire, and 

 probably, as in Gampsorhynclius, the wholly pure white head and 

 under parts are not acquired until the bird is two years old. 



Distribution. The limestone ranges of Tenasserim, such as 

 those at Wimpong, the Toungsha Gyne Eiver and Momenzeik. 



Nidification unknown. 



Habits. Davison says that they wander about the limestone 

 rocks in pairs, singly or in small parties. They are excessively 

 lively, sprightly birds, keeping up a continuous twittering, 

 chattering note, and occasionally one will perch itself on some 

 point of a rock and, with lowered wings and erected tail, pour 

 forth a fine and powerful song. They feed principally on insects 

 and land-shells, but also in part on seeds. They are not shy and 

 are easy to watch arid procure. He observes that this bird is 

 " really a little Thrush." 



Genus TURDINULUS Hume, 1878. 



The genus Turdinulus of Hume, with which I unite Corytho- 

 cichla, contains a small group of Babblers which are extraordi- 

 narily "Wren-like in appearance, habits and even nidification, and 

 at one time I felt convinced that they should be removed en bloc 

 to the Troglodytidce. Closely connected, however, with this 

 genus are the birds of the genus Rimator, which seems to serve 

 as a connecting link with other forms of Timaliidce. Robinson 

 and Kioss's recently-described Rimator danjoui seems to still 

 further strengthen these links and, though with some reluctance, 

 I leave them in this sub-family. 



They are all birds with tails very much shorter than the wing ; 

 the plumage is soft, lax and squamated ; the bill like that of 

 Drymocatapliw but with longer rictal bristles. The nostrils are 

 exposed and are mere slits with no overhanging membrane. 

 The tarsus is very stout and long and the feet large. 



Key to Species and Subspecies, 



A. Tail more than half length of wing. 



a. Tips of wing-feathers white. 



a'. Sides of breast and flanks chestnut. [caudatus, p. 251 . 



a". Wing 65 nim. or under T. brevicaudattis brevi- 



b". Wing over 65 mm T. b. venningi, p. 252. 



b'. Sides of breast and flanks reddish 



brown T. b. striatus, p. 251. 



B. Tail less than half the length of wing. 



b. Feathers of the throat spotted with black. 



c'. Colour brown washed with rufous, [? 253> 



especially on flanks T. roberti roberti, 



