DRYMOCATAPHUS. 145 



comparing specimens of radi ; they have consequently been a tortile 

 source of cout'usiou in the past. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Crowh block D. wgrieapitatus, p. 1 10. 



b. Crown uot black. 



a'. Lower plumage bright ferruginous .... D. rubiyinostii, p. 145. 

 b'. Lower plumage fulvous. 



a". Upper plumage fill ve.sc-e ut olive-brown. D. tickelli, p. 140. 



b". Upper plumage rufesceut olive-brown. D. assamensis, p. 147. 



149. Drymocataphus nigricapitatus. The Blade-capped Babbler. 



Brachypteryx nigrocapitata, E-jton, P. Z. S. 1839, p. 103 ; Blyth, 



Cat. p. 178. 

 Drymocataphus nigrocapitatus (Ei/ton), Horsf. 8f M. Cat. i, p. 396 ; 



Tioeedd. Ibis, 1877, p. 308; 'Hums c^ Dav. S. F. vi, p. 275; 



Hume, Cat. no. 396 sex; Oates, B. B. i, p. 63; Sharpe, Cat. 



B. M. vii, p. 554 ; Oates in Humes N. fy E. 2nd ed. i, p. 102. 



Coloration. The lores, a broad supercilium reaching to the nape, 

 and the cheeks grey, each feather with a white shaft-stripe ; ear- 

 coverts ashy rufous with whitish shafts ; a very narrow moustachial 

 stripe black ; chin and throat white ; sides of neck and the whole 

 lower plumage ferruginous, brightest on the breast and tinged with 

 brown on the flanks, lower abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts ; 

 forehead, crown, and nape black ; the whole upper plumage, tail, 

 and exposed parts of wings deep ferruginous brown. 



Legs and feet fleshy white, slightly tinged with brown or reddish 

 horny ; upper mandible black, lower fleshy white ; iris rhubarb- 

 red (Hume Coll.). 



Length about 7; tail 2-4; wing 2'7; tarsus 1-15; bill from 

 gape -9. 



Distribution. The extreme south of Tenasserim, extending to 

 Sumatra. 



Habits, $c. Feeds entirely on the ground, singly or in pairs. A 

 shy bird, frequenting the densest portions of the forests. Davisou 

 describes the nest as being built on the ground of coarse fern-roots 

 on a foundation of twigs and leaves. The only nest he found 

 was at the base of a small clump of ferns, and contained two eggs. 

 They are described as creamy white, very thickly speckled with 

 inky purple and purplish brown. They measured '82 by -62. 



150. Drymocataphus rubiginosus. The Rufous Babbler. 



Trichostoma rubiginosa, Walcl A. M. N. II. (4) xv, p. 402 (1875) ; 



id. in Blyth, 3fcri&2farm.p. 115; Hume, S. F. hi, p. 404; id. Cat. 



no. 387 ter. 

 Drymocataphus rubiginosus ( Wald.), Oates, B. B. i. p. 65 ; Sharpe, 



Cat. B. M. vii, p. 560. 



YOL. I. 



