122 TIMELIID/E. 



This species is rather aberrant in form, having a thicker bill and shorter 

 tail than the other Actinodnnz. 



Gen. CrateropUS. Swainson. 



Bill short or moderate, much compressed, rather deep, and curving from the 

 base ; nostrils apert ; a few short rictal bristles ; wing short, rounded, 4th, 5th 

 and 6th quills nearly equal and longest ; tail moderately long and broad ; 

 tarsus stout ; frontal plumes rigid ; general colour sombre grey, mixed more 

 or less with rufescent, and the feathers mesially striated with dusky. 



583. CrateropUS Canorus (Lin.), Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. 

 p. 479. Turdus canorus, Lin., Syst. Nat. i. p. 293. Malacocircus terricolor, 

 Hodgs., y. A. S. B. 1836, 771 ; Jerd., B. Ind. ii. p. 59, No. 432 ; Murray, 

 Hdbk., Zool., fyc., Sind, p. 142. Malacocircus bengalensis, Blyth, Cat. of B. 

 p. 140; Murray, Vert. Zool. Sind. p. 133. The BENGAL BABBLER. 



Head and hind neck pale ashy ; upper back ashy or grey brown, the 

 feathers pale shafted ; feathers of the lower back and rump greyish brown, 

 and very lax ; outer webs of primaries pale grey ; inner webs dusky ; tertiaries 

 dusky, the feathers with indistinct darker cross bars ; tail reddish ash or 

 brown, the lateral feathers dusky brown, with faint bars, and the external 

 ones tipped with whitish ; chin and throat ashy, the feathers edged and shafted 

 lighter; breast fulvous brown, also with lighter edges and shafts ; abdomen, 

 vent and under tail coverts buffy white, paler and almost white on the under 

 tail .coverts. Bill yellowish brown ; irides pale yellow ; legs pale yellow. 



Length. 9 to IO inches ; wing 4*25 ; tail 4-5 ; bill at front 075. 



Hab. India generally, extending to Nepaul. Common in the Punjab, N.-W. 

 Provinces, Oudh, Central India, Bengal, Sind, on the Western Coast and in 

 Kutch and Kattiawar. Recorded from Aboo, North Guzerat and Jodhpore, 

 also Rajpootana, Concan, Deccan, Madras and Travancore. Breeds from 

 April to July, wherever it occurs, building in thick bushes or gardens 

 laying 3 eggs, variable both in size and colour. In colour they are from a 

 pale blue to a deep dull blue and glossy. 



584- CrateropUS griseUS (GmeL), Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. 

 p. 481. Turdus griseus, Gm., Syst. Nat. i. p. 824. Malococercus griseus, 

 Blyth, J. A. S. B. xiii. p. 368 ; Jerd., III. Ind. Orn. pi. 19; Bp. Consp. i. 

 P- 373 J Jerd., B. Ind. ii. p. 60, No. 433 ; Hume, Sir. F. iv. p. 456. 

 Timalea grisea, Jerd., Madras, Journ. x. p. 258. The WHITE-HEADED 

 BABBLER. 



PLATE (Figs, i i and 2). 



Above earthy brown, streaked on the mantle and scapulars with dull white ; 

 rump and upper tail coverts light ashy brown, paler than the back and with 

 \rhitish shaft lines ; lesser and median wing coverts like the upper surface of 



