TRICHOSTOMA. TURDINUS. 1 53 



Distribution. The extreme soutb of Tenasserim, extending down 

 to the Malay peninsula and to Sumatra and Borneo. 



Jlitbils, .\r. According to Davison this bird is strictly a ground- 

 bird, only flying up into trees when disturbed. 



Genus TRICHOSTOMA, Blyth, 1842. 



The type of the genus Tricliostoma is a bird which for many years 

 after Blyth's institution of the genus remained unknown to orni- 

 thologists, or rather was known only by various names which were 

 not recognized as synonymous with Blyth's until I worked up the 

 subject for my ' Birds of Burmah.' 



Tricliostoma has remarkably long rictal bristles, but does not 

 otherwise differ much from the preceding genera except in having 

 a conspicuously shorter tail. It is in great measure arboreal. 

 Many birds have been placed in this genus which have no connec- 

 tion or affinities with it. 



159. Tricliostoma rostratum. Blyth's Babbler. 



Trichastoma rostratum, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xi, p. 795 (1842) ; id. Cat. 



p. 147; Hume, S. F. viii, pp. CO, 160; ix, pp. 109, 127; Oafes, 



B. B. i, p. 50 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. vii, p. 562. 

 Napothera umhratilis, Strickl. Contr. Orn. 1849, p. 128, pi. 31. 

 Bmchypteryx raaci optera, Salvadori, Atti R. Ac. Sc. Tor. iii, p. 528 



(1868). 

 Brachypteryx buxtoni, Wald. P. Z. S. 1877, p. 367 ; id. Ibis, 1877, 



p. 308, pi. 6, fig. 2. 



Coloration. Whole upper plumage rufescent olive-brown, tinged 

 with ferruginous on the upper tail-coverts and outer webs of tail- 

 feathers ; lores whitish, mottled with black ; ear-coverts and round 

 the eye rufescent ; the former with whitish shafts; cheeks white, 

 with black shafts and tips ; entire lower plumage white, washed 

 with pale grey across the breast and suffused with ashy brown on 

 the sides of the breast and abdomen; outer webs of wing-quills 

 like the back. 



Upper mandible dark brown ; lower pale plumbeous blue ; legs 

 and feet rather dark pinkish fleshy ; iris pale red-brown ; claws 

 pale horny brown (Davison). 



Length about 6'5 ; tail 2*1 ; wing 2'9 ; tarsus 1*05 ; bill from 

 gape -9. 



Distribution. The extreme south of Tenasserim, extending to 

 Sumatra and Borneo. 



Habits, $r. Nothing is known of this bird's habits beyond Hume's 

 assertion that they are arboreal. 



Genus TURDINUS, Blyth, 1844. 



The genus Turdinus differs from all the other genera of this 

 subfamily with stout straight bills in having the nostrils oval and 

 exposed, not protected by a membrane. As restricted here, it 

 contains but one Indian species. This has a very short tail. 



