294 TIMALIID^. 



neutral tint, principally disposed as a ring round the larger end. 

 They measure about 17'4 x 13*3 mm. Mr. Stevens's nests were 

 taken on the 29th May and 3rd June at about 9,000 feet. 



Habits. Stevens found them in pairs haunting shrubs in dense 

 forest between 6,000 and 9,000 feet elevation. 



Subfamily SIBIIN^E*. 



This subfamily differs from the Timaliina* in having longer 

 wings and comparatively shorter, weaker tarsi and feet. Together 

 with these features they have different habits, as one would have 

 expected. They are strictly arboreal, seldom, it' ever, feeding on 

 the ground, nor do they scramble and climb about the under- 

 growth but hop from one branch to another, take easily to flight, 

 and are not nearly so noisy as the last group of birds. 



The sexes are alike in plumage and often brightly coloured. 



This subfamily remains much as in Blauford and Gates, but the 

 genus Zosterops is removed en bloc to a family by itself, Zosteropidce 

 of Sharpe. 



The genus Actinodura I retain in this subfamily with some 

 doubt, as in many ways it approaches the previous subfamily, 

 especially in its nidification, but on the whole it appears to be 

 properly placed where it is. 



Key to Genera. 



A. Tail nearly twice the length of wing SIBIA, p. 295. 



B. Tail and wing not differing much in length. 

 a. Tail-feathers graduated. 



a . All the tail-feathers graduated. 



". Tail longer than wing; the outer 

 tail-feathers falling short of tip of 

 tail by a distance equal to length 

 of tarsus. 



a'". Wings not barred LEIOPTILA, p. 296. 



b'". Wings barred AcxiNODt'RA, p. 303. 



b". Tail not longer than wing; the outer 



tail-feathers falling short of the tip of 



tail by less than the length of tarsus. 



c'". Nostrils not overhung by hairs; 



wings barred ". IXOPS, p. 307. 



d'". Nostrils overhung by hairs and 



wings not barred STAPHIDIA, p. 309. ' 



* The subfamily BfttckyptenMtnte does not belong to the Timaliida at all. 

 Gates realized their close connection with the Turdida but placed them in his 

 Crateropodidte on the ground that the plumage of the young was like that of 

 the parent, whereas it has been proved that in Larvivora, Bracltypteryx and 

 Drymocliares all have spotted young. The genera Myiophoneus ami Arrcnga 

 are true Thrushes; Elaphroniis appears to be a Warbler somewhere near 

 Tribara ; Tcsia and Oligura are Wrens, Troglodytida ; and the other genera 

 short-winged Chats which may be retained "in a subfamily, Brachi/ptcrygiiHs, 

 in tl> Turdidte. All these genera will be found in their appropriate places 

 in future volumes. 



