ABGYA. 105 



Habits, $c. Hume describes this bird as a terrible skulk, clinging 

 to dense thorny scrub. It is very vocal and has a great number 

 of clear, beautiful notes, which it combines into a great variety of 

 calls, and it has also a coughing, chuckling, oft-repeated note. 



Genus ARGYA, Lesson, 1831. 



The birds of this genus differ from the Laughing-Thrushes in 

 many points of structure. The covering-membrane of the nostril 

 is partially clothed with plumes and the feathers of the forehead 

 and those round the base of the bill are short, firm, and close. 

 The tail is also relatively much longer and greatly graduated, each 

 outer feather being only about half the length of the tail. 



The Babblers of this genus are found all over the plains of India 

 and Burma. They associate in small flocks, keep to the ground 

 or near it, and are very noisy when disturbed. They make cup- 

 shaped nests, chiefly in high grass, and lay unspotted blue eggs. 

 Many of the species resemble each other closely. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Head and back distinctly streaked with 



blackish or very dark brown. 



a'. Chin and throat rufous, with streaks .... A. earlii, p. 105, 

 b 1 . Chin and throat white or very pale fulvous, 

 without streaks. 



a". Lower plumage pale fulvous A. caudata, p. 106. 



b". Lower plumage ferruginous A. gularis, p. 107. 



b. Head not streaked ; back with oval brown 



spots A. malcolmi, p. 108. 



c. Upper plumage entirely unstreaked. 



c'. Chin and throat rufous, lores dark A. subrufa, p. 109. 



d' . Chin and upper throat white, lores white. A. longirostris, p. 109. 



Fig. 29. Head of A. earlii. 



104. Argya earlii. The Striated Babbler. 



Malacocercus earlii, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xiii, p. 369 (1844) j id. Cat. 



p. 141 ; Horsf. $ M. Cat. i, p. 222. 

 Chatarrhcea earlii (Blyth), Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 68 ; Hume, N. Sf E. 



p. 275; Hume Sf Henders. Lah. to York. pi. x; Hume, Cat. 



no. 439 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 182 ; Hume, S. F. xi, p. 174. 

 Crateropus earlii (Blyth}, Oates, B. B. i, p. 30. 

 Argya earlii (Bhjth), Sharpe, Cat. B. M. vii, p. 392 ; Oates in Hume's 



N. Sf E. 2nd ed. i, p. 68. 



The Striated Reed-Babbler, Jerd. ; Burra-phenga, Hindi. 



