]30 TIMELIID/E. 



Hab. The lower hills of Nepaul and Sikkim, throughout the plains of 

 Eastern Bengal, Burmah and the Malay Peninsula (rare), and Java. It has 

 been procured in Cachar and the Sundurbuns, also in Cochin-China. Gates 

 says it is a common species all over Burmah and Pegu, and that it 

 frequents secondary jungle and gardens, especially in the southern parts. In 

 the plains it is common to a remarkable degree. It is a bright and cheerful 

 bird, and is always on the move. It is most abundant in the grass jungles of 

 Purneah, Sylhet and Cachar. Horsfield (in Jerd.) says it is common in Java, 

 in groves and woods, constructs its nests in hedges, and is one of the social 

 birds, which delight to dwell in the neighbourhood of cultivation. It has, he 

 says, a pleasant note, which consists of a slow repetition of the five notes of the 

 diatonic scale (C, D, E, F, G), with perfect regularity and at small intervals 

 of time. 



Its nest has been found during May and June, and is a domed structure 

 made of grass. Gates says it is either placed on the ground or in the fork of 

 a bush close to it. Eggs, three in number, white, speckled with brown. 



598. Timelia longirOStriS (Moore), Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. 

 vii. p. 509. Pyctorhis longirostris, Moore, P. Z. S. 1854, p. 104; Jerd., 

 B. Ind. ii. p. 16, No. 386. Malacocercus rubiginosus, Godw.-Aust., P. Z. S. 

 1874, p. 47 ; id., J. A. S. B. xliii. pt. ii. p. 164, pi. v. ; Hume, Sir. F. 1879, 



p. 397. Pyctorhis longirostris, Hume, Str. F. 1879, p. 95. The LARGER 

 YELLOW-EYED BABBLER. 



Head dull rufous brown ; rest of upper parts deep rufous brown, the lower 

 back and rump slightly paler ; wing coverts like the back ; quills dusky, the 

 primaries light rufous on their outer webs ; tail feathers dull rufous brown ; 

 lores, eyebrow and ear coverts pale tawny buff ; feathers round the eye, fore- 

 cheeks, below the eye and throat white ; under surface buffish white ; the 

 flanks, thighs and under tail coverts, also the under wing coverts, tawny buff. 

 Bill black ; legs pale fleshy; irides nearly white. 



Length. 7-9 to 8 inches ; wing 275 to 2'8; tail 4-4; tarsus ri ; culmen 

 0-85. 



Hab. Oude to Bhootan, the hills of Munipur and Khasia, also Cachar. 

 It is common about Nepaul and the country below the Himalayas. 



Gen. Pyctorhis. Hodgs. 



Bill rather short, strong and deep ; rictus bristled : orbits nude ; 4th and 

 5th quills longest. 



599. Pyctorhis sinensis, (Gm.), Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 15, No. 385 ; 



Beavan, Ibis, 1867, p. 431 ; StoL, J . A. S. B. xxxvii. pt. 2, p. 36; Blanf. 

 /. c. xl. p. 273; Godw.-Aust., J. A. S. B. xliii. pt. 2, p. 160; Hume* 



