STACHYRHIDOPSIS. 165 



Habits, $"c. Brooks observes that this bird, so long as it finds dense 

 cover, is indifferent about elevation. It has a low soft whistle. 

 It breeds from April to June, constructing a nest of bamboo-leaves 

 in bushes a few feet from the ground. The nest is generally 

 domed, but not always. The eggs, which are white speckled with 

 reddish, measure -68*by -52. 



173. Stachyrhidopsis rufifrons. Hume's Babbler. 



Stachyris rufifrons, Hume, S. F. i, p. 470 (1873), iii, p. 117; Wald. 



in BlytVs Birch Burm. p. 110 ; Brooks, S. F. iv, p. 274 ; Hume, S. 



F. iv, p. 501 ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi, p. 265 ; Hume, Cat. no. 393 



bis ; Binghcun, S. F. ix, p. 179; Hume, S. F. xi,p. 141. 

 Stachyridopsis rufifrons (Hume), Sharpe, Cat. B. M. vii, p. 599 ; 



Oates, B. B. i, p. 54. 



Coloration. Eesembles S. ruficeps. Differs in having the chin 

 and upper throat white, with black shafts, the sides of the head 

 decidedly ashy, with the lores and a ring round the eye con- 

 spicuously paler, and the rufous on the crown duller and not 

 extending to the nape. 



Bill blue ; iris deep red ; eyelids plumbeous ; legs fleshy brown ; 

 claws pale horn-colour. 



Length nearly 5; tail 1-9; wing 2-1 ; tarsus -7 ; bill from gape 

 55. 



Distribution. The lower hills of Sikhim, the Bhutan Doars, and 

 Assam up to Dibrugarh ; thence down to Pegu and Tenasserim, 

 through the hill-tracts of Eastern Bengal and Upper Burma. 

 This species has also been found in Karennee. It is very sparingly 

 spread over the above area and is nowhere common. 



174. Stachyrhidopsis pyrrhops. The Red-billed Babbler. 



Stachyris pyrrhops, Hoilgs., Blyth, J. A. S. B. xiii, p. 379 (1844) ; 



Hodgs. in Gray's Zool, Misc. p. 83 (1844) ; id. P. Z. S. 1845, p. 23 ; 



Blyth, Cat. p. 150; Horsf. $ M. Cat. i, p. 232; Jerd. B. I. ii, 



p. 21 ; Stoliczka, J. A. S. B. xxxvii, pt. ii, p. 36 j Cock $ Marsh. 



S. F. i, p. 354; Hume, N. 8f E.^. 243; Brooks, S. F. iii, p. 237; 



Hume, Cat. no. 392. 

 Stachyridopsis pyrrhops (Hodgs:), Sharpe, Cat. B. M. vii, p. 600; 



Oates in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. i, p. 114. 



The Red-billed Wren-Babbler, Jerd. 



Coloration. Forehead and anterior half of crown fulvous, blend- 

 ing with the olive-brown of the upper plumage, the feathers of the 

 forehead, crown, and mantle dark-shafted; lores and chin black, 

 the lower portion of the latter barred with white ; sides of the head 

 fulvous ; lower plumage rather brighter fulvous, the sides of the 

 body, flanks, thighs, and under tail-coverts tinged with olivaceous. 



Upper mandible dark brown, lower fleshy pink tinged blue ; legs, 

 feet, and claws brownish fleshy ; iris red (Hume Coll.). Iris blood- 

 red ; bill sordid sanguine (Jerdon). 



