146 



618. Gypsophila crispifrons (Biytk), Oates, B. Br. Burm. K 



p. 6 1 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. p. 561. Turdinus crispifrons, Blyth, 

 J. A. S. B. xxiv, p. 269 ; id., B. Burm. p. 114; Hume, Sir. F. 1877, 

 p. 87; id., and Dav., Str. F. 1878, p. 262; Hume, Sir. F. 1879, p. 95 ; 

 Bingham, Sir. F. 1880, p. 179. Turdinus Darwini, Hume, Sir. F. 1877, p. 

 90. The LIMESTONE THRUSH-BABBLER. 



Top of the head, upper side of the neck, the back and scapulars olive brown, 

 each feather edged with blackish ; wing coverts, wings, rump, upper tail 

 coverts and tail olive brown, the inner webs of the quills darker, and each of 

 the tertiaries tipped with a minute spot of white ; tail obsoletely barred darker ; 

 lores ashy with whitish shaft lines ; supercilium ashy grey ; ear coverts olive 

 brown with whitish shaft lines ; chin, throat and breast dull white, with broad 

 dusky brown centres to the feathers, less conspicuous on the chin; under 

 surface of the body ochraceous brown ; the centre of the abdomen whitish or 

 bufTy white. In Winter, the forehead, lores, supercilium, chin, throat, sides of 

 the head and neck, a portion of the breast and a collar at the back of the 

 neck are pure white (Gates) ; irides variable in colour, from light to deep red ; 

 upper mandible dark brown or black ; lower one pale plumbeous ; legs dark 

 brown. (Davison.) 



Length. 7*0 to 7'5 inches; wing 2-95 103-2 ; tail 27 to 3*0; tarsus r 

 to 1*15; oilmen O-8. 



Hab. Tenasserim, in the central portions, affecting limestone rocks near 

 Moulmein and at Wimpong. Mr. Davison found it entirely confined to the 

 limestone rocks, moving about either singly or in pairs, but more often in 

 small parties. He says they are excessively lively, sprightly birds, keeping 

 up continually a twittering, chattering note. They feed on insects and land 

 shells, also seeds. They are easily procured, but unless killed outright they 

 scramble into some of the numerous holes in the crevices of the honey- 

 combed rock. 



Gen. TrichOStoma- Blyth. 



General characters as in Timelia ; the bill long and slender, and the rictal 

 setce at gape very strong, reaching beyond the nostrils', plumage lax and puffy. 

 One species only is known in India. 



619. Trichostoma rostratum, Biyth. J. A. S. B. xi. p. 795 ; id., 



xiii. p. 383; xvi. p. 462 ; id., Cat. B. Mus. A. S. Beng. p. 147; Bp. Consp. 

 i. p. 259; Hume, Sir. F. 1879, PP- 6o l6 J l88o PP-JO9* I2 7; Oates, B. 

 Br.Burm.\.\). 56; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. p. 562. Turdirostris 

 umbratilis, Bp. Consp. i. p. 218. Brachypteryx macroptera, Salvad., Atti. R. 

 Ac. Torin. iii. p. 528. Brachypteryx Buxtoni, Walden, P. Z. S. 1877, p, 367; 

 id., Ibis, 1877, P- 38> pi. 6, fig. 2. BLYTH'S THRUSH-BABBLER. 



