SCHCENIPARTJS. 283 



Genus SCHffiNIPARUS Hume, 1874. 



With the genus Schceniparus we enter on a group of small 

 birds essentially Timaliine both in characteristics and in habits. 

 They possess the typical short, rounded wing and strong tarsi and 

 feet but differ from all the rest in having short, blunt bills very 

 Tit-like in tlieir superficial appearance, in nidification and habits 

 they resemble many other genera, building ball-shaped nests placed 

 on the ground, whilst they seek their food at least as much on the 

 ground as on the lower bushes. 



The nostrils are covered by a membrane and not overhung by 

 hairs and the rictal bristles are small ; the wings and tail are 

 about equal in length and the latter is well graduated. 



Key to Species and Subspecies. 



A. No chestnut band across breast. 



a. Sides of neck not striped or only 



obsoletely so. 

 a'. Above olive-brown tinged ocbra- 



ceous S. dubius dubius, p. 28 



b'. Above olive-brown with no ochra- 



ceous tinge . S. d. genestieri, p. 285. 



b. Sides of neck boldly striped S. d. mandellii, p. 284. 



B. A chestnut band across breast S. rujigularis, p. 286. 



(297) Schceniparus dubius dubius. 



THE TENASSERIH TIT-BABBLER. 



Proparus dubius Hume, P. A. S. B., 1874, p. 109 (Muleyit). 

 Schceniparus dubius. Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 168. 



Vernacular names. Prep-dor (Kachin). 



Description. Forehead, crown and nape reddish brown, each 

 feather obsoletely margined darker and the forehead tinged with 

 chestnut ; lores and a band on each side of the crown, blending on 

 the back, black ; a white supercilium from the eye to the nape ; 

 ear-coverts and sides of neck pale fulvous-brown ; upper plumage 

 olive-brown, tinged with rufous on exposed parts of wings and 

 tail : lower plumage pale fulvous, whitish on the chin and throat 

 and olivaceous on the flanks and under tail-coverts. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris yellowish red, pale yellow to slaty- 

 pink ; bill dark brown to dull black ; legs and feet fleshy. 



Measurements. Total length about 135 mm.; wing 53 to 58mm.; 

 tail about 60 mm. ; tarsus 25 mm. ; culmen 12 mm. 



Distribution. Northern and Central Tenasserim. 



Nidification. The Tenasserim Tit-Babbler makes a domed 

 nest of bamboo leaves and grass, which it places either on the 

 ground or close to it. The lining, always very slight, is of roots 

 and fibres and occasionally these are made use of in the body of the 

 nest. The sites selected seem to be generally in forests with amp 



