310 TIMALIID^E. 



Key to Species and Subspecies. 



A. Crown chestnut-rufous S. castaneiceps, p. 310. 



B. Crown dark brown, no superciliuni .... & striata striata, p. 311. 



C. Crown dark grey with white superciliuni .. S. s. rufgenis, p.' 311. 



(330) Staphidia castaneiceps. 

 THE CHESTXUT-HEADED STAPHIDIA. 



I.mlus citstanciceps Moore, P. Z. S., 1854," p. 141 (Afghanistan in 



crrore) (Cachar). 

 Staphidia castaneiceps. Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 20o. 



Vernacular names. Dao-tuha-magini (Cachari). 



Description. Forehead chestnut-brown, the feathers margined 

 with grey ; crown and crest chestnut ; upper plumage and visible 

 portions of wings and tail greenish brown, the back and scapulars 

 with white shafts; middle tail-feathers and concealed webs 

 blackish brown, outer feathers broadly tipped white, the tips 

 decreasing in extent until they disappear in the central ones ; 

 lores grey ; a short superciliuni from above the eye white ; ear- 

 coverts chestnut with whitish shafts ; lower plumage and under 

 wing-coverts pale fulvous white ; under tail-coverts brown tipped 

 with white. 



Colours of soft parts. Irides pale hazel ; bill rather light 

 reddish-horny, gape and base of both mandibles purplish ; legs 

 dull reddish or flesh-colour, claws dusky flesh-colour. 



Measurements. Length about 135 mm. ; wing 6G to 70 mui.; tail 

 about 58 mm. ; tarsus about 14 mm. ; culmen about 7'5 to 8 mm. 



Distribution. Assam Hills South of the Brahmaputra as far 

 East as the Xaga Hills and South to Lushai. According to 

 Godwin- Austen this bird has also been found in the Dafla Hills. 



Nidification. This pretty little Babbler breeds all over its range 

 between 2,000 and 5,000 feet, principally about 3,000 feet. The 

 breeding season begins in the middle of April and ends in the 

 middle of July and the nest is nearh r always placed in holes in 

 small perpendicular banks, those beside paths cut through the 

 jungle being a very favourite site. They are placed only just 

 inside the hole, often very indifferently concealed, and are made 

 of some very soft fibrous material like tow, the surrounding 

 portion of the nest being of weed stems, moss and leaves, more 

 or less mixed with shreds of grass. The eggs number three or 

 four and are broad, obtuse ovals, pure glossy white with fairly 

 numerous specks and spots of vandyke-bro\vn or reddish-brown, 

 sometimes scattered over the whole surface, sometimes confined 

 for the most part to the larger end, where they may form a rough 

 ring or cap. 150 eggs average 16-6 x 13'5 mm., the extremes being 

 18'Oxl 4-0; 16-2x14-2 mm.; 15'0x 13-0 and 15-2 x!2'3 mm. 



H&bitt. It is found during the non-breeding season in small 

 flocks, the individuals keeping very near to one another. They 

 keep closely to the tops of the higher bushes and smaller saplings, 



