PTERUTHIUS. 333 



parties and keep much to the fringe of forests, the sides of roads 

 and streams and open glades, and when perched on the topmost 

 twig of some tall bush they do look extremely Shrike-like but 

 directly they move the resemblance disappears. They are sedate 

 and rather slow in their actions as they hop about or clamber 

 through the bushes and scrub and their flight is jerky, dipping and 

 rather feeble. They are not shy birds and keep up a continuous 

 grating " chirr " when being watched but they also have some loud 

 musical call-notes. They feed both on insects and berries and seeds. 



(355) Pteruthius aeralatus aeralatus. 

 TICKELL'S SHRIKE-BABBLEB. 



Pteruthius feralatus Tickell, J. A. S. B., xxiv, p. 267 (1855) 

 (Tenasserim. 3,500-4,500 ft.) ; Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 225. 



Vernacular names. None recorded. 



Description. Male. Differs from the last in having the inner 

 secondaries golden vellow on the outer webs and edged with black 

 on the inner webs and tipped with black. The lower plumage is 

 also more grey. 



Colours of soft parts. " Legs and feet fleshy white ; claws pale 

 brown to black ; lower mandible and basal edges of upper mandible 

 along commissure pale blue, rest of the bill black ; iris varied con- 

 siderablv. slaty grey, pale greenish grey and deep brown " (Hume 

 Sf Davisoii). 



Measurements a little smaller than the last ; wing 75 to 81 mm. 



The female differs in having the inner secondaries green, tipped 

 with chestnut and the back grey. 



Distribution. The Kachin Hills, East of Bhamo, the hills of 

 Central East Burma, Muleyit and probably other ranges in Teii- 

 asserim and the North of the Malay Peninsula. 



Nidification. Unknown. 



Habits. On Muleyit, Davison found this bird in pairs or singly, 

 frequenting the tops of the highest trees, hunting the smaller 

 branches and foliage for insects. Its note he syllabifizes as 

 " too weech." He also says that if one of a pair is shot, the other 

 at once commences calling and hunting for its companion. This 

 trait is also seen in the last bird. 



Probably all the forms of walatus should be treated as geo- 

 graphical races of erythropten.is, but in the series available for 

 examination I have seen no intermediate forms. 



(356) Pteruthius melanotis melanotis. 

 THE CHESTNUT-THROATED SHRIKE- BABBLEE. 



Pteruthius melanotis Hodgs., J. A. S. B., xxiv, p. 267 (1855) (Terai, 

 E. Himalayas) ; Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 226. 



Vernacular names. Ku-er-pho (Lepcha). 



