88 CEATEROPODID^E. 



The wing is not more rounded nor is it shorter than in those genera, 

 when compared with other parts of the body. 



This large genus comprises nineteen Indian birds, which resemble 

 the other Laughing- Thrushes in having loud and discordant notes, 

 but they are less gregarious and sociable. The smaller species 

 are hardly separable from Timelia in structure and general pattern 

 of colour. Of the nineteen species, the mode of nidification and 

 the colour of the egg of ten are known with more or less certainty. 

 Of these ten, seven lay spotted eggs and three unspotted. The 

 former will probably hereafter have to be transferred to the next 

 subfamily, but until we know the colour of the egg of the remaining 

 species any attempt to split up this genus into two or more sections 

 will be premature. 



The majority of the Laughing-Thrushes of this genus have a 

 bright pattern on the wing, but this character is not of much use 

 apparently as a guide in tracing the affinities of the species with 

 other genera. 



Key to the Spedes. 



a. Crown, or nape, or both, chestnut. 



a'. Back with large dark spots. 



a". Sides of head chestnut. 



a'". Throat dark brown or blackish. T. ei-ythrocephalum, p. 89, 



b'". Throat chestnut T. erythrolama, p. 90. 



b". Sides of head ashy, ear-coverts pale 



rufous T. chrysopterum, p. 90. 



c". Sides of head black and ashy ; ear- 

 coverts black with white margins. T. nigrimentum, p. 91. 



b'. Back plain, without spots T. melanostigma, p. 92. 



6. No chestnut either on crown or nape. 

 c. Wings brightly coloured. 



d". Wings chiefly crimson T. phoeniceum, p. 93. 



e". Wings chiefly bright yellow. 



c'". Primary-coverts brown T. sulunicolor, p. 94. 



d'". Primary-coverts deep black. 



a 4 . Tail without white tips T. affine, p. 94. 



b*. Tail tipped with white T. variegatum, p. 95. 



f". Wings chiefly slaty blue, with a 



black patch on the secondaries .... T. simile, p. 96. 

 g". Earlier primaries chiefly bright blue, 



the others black T. squamatum, p. 98. 



d'. Wings of a dull colour. 

 h". Upper plumage unmarked. 

 e'". Breast rufous. 



c 4 . Lores and chin deep black .... T. cachinnans, p. 97. 

 d 4 . Lores and chin rufous-brown. . T. cinnamomewn, p. 98. 

 f . Breast whitish, streaked with ashy. 



e 4 . Chin black T. jerdoni, p. 99. 



f. Chin grey. 



a 5 . With a conspicuous white 

 supercilium extending to 



nape T.fairbanki, p. 99. 



b 5 . With a short supercilium not 



passing behind the eye .... T, mendionale, p. 100. 



