MIXOBNIS. 167 



The two species of Mixornis are not very distinct, and it is 

 sometimes difficult to separate them. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Crown pale ferruginous; streaks on breast 



confined to shafts M. rubncapffltu, p. 167. 



b. Crown chestnut ; streaks on breast broad, 



wider than shaft M. gularis, p. 168. 



176. Mixornis rubricapillus. The Yellow-breasted Babbler. 



Motacilla rubicapilla, Tick. J. A. S. B. ii, p. 576 (1833). 



Mixornis chloris (Hodgs.), Blyth, Cat. p. 149. 



Mixornis rubicapillus (Tick.), Horsf. fy M.Cat. i, p. 229 ; Jerd. B. 1. ii, 

 p. 23 ; Wold. P. Z. S. 1866, p. 547 ; id. Ibis, 1872, p. 376; Hume, 

 N. fy E. p. 245 ; Ball, S. F. ii, p. 408 ; Hume, S. F. iii, p. ]18 ; 

 Oates, S. F. v, p. 152 ; Anders. Yunnan Exped., Aves, p. 635 ; 

 Hume 8f Dav. S. F. vi, pp. 266, 514 ; Hime, Cat. no. 395 ; Gates, 

 B. B. i, p. 50 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. vii, p. 578 ; Hume, S. F. xi, 

 p. 142 ; Gates in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. i, p. 115. 



The Yellow-breasted Wren-Babbler, Jerd. 



Fig. 48. Head of M. rubricapillus. 



Coloration. Extreme point of forehead and the lores yellow with 

 black shafts, continued back as a uniform yellow supercilium ; 

 crown pale ferruginous, blending on the nape with the olive-green 

 of the upper plumage and sides of neck ; ear-coverts dull yellow 

 with pale shafts ; cheeks, chin, throat, and upper breast yellow, 

 with black shafts ; centre of breast and abdomen plain yellow ; 

 remainder of lower plumage dull ashy yellow. 



Iris dull white ; eyelids plumbeous ; bill horny brown ; legs 

 fleshy horn-colour; claws yellowish. The iris appears to vary 

 from white to yellow. 



Length about 5 ; tail 2-1 ; wing 2-3 ; tarsus '7 ; bill from gape 

 65. 



Distribution. Chutia Nagpur ; Sikhim and along the base of the 

 Himalayas to the extreme east of Assam, and thence south through 

 Eastern Bengal and its adjacent hill-tracts to Arrakan and Ten- 

 asserim, in which latter division this bird is found to a short 

 distance below Tavoy, where it meets the next species. 



Hodgson figures this bird (no. 699), but it is not clear whether 

 it occurs in Nepal or not. In the Pinwill Collection, however, 

 there is a specimen from the N.W. Himalayas, and this locality 

 is probably either Kumaon or G-arhwal. 



