RIMATOR. 175 



or four eggs in an egg- shaped nest made of bamboo-leaves and 

 grass in a clump of bamboos. The eggs appear to be white, spotted 

 with brownish red, and to measure ? by '5. 



Genus RIMATOR, Blyth, 1847. 



The sole bird which constitutes the genus Rimator is remarkable 

 for its very long bill and its very short tail. There can be no doubt 

 that its proper position is in this subfamily, but it has no very close 

 ally. 



In this genus the bill is slender and as long as the head ; the cul- 

 nien is curved downwards and the tip of the bill is barely notched ; 

 the rictal bristles are short ; the nostrils are open ovals. The tail 

 is less than half the length of the wing and slightly rounded. 



The only species known inhabits the higher mountains of Sikhiin 

 and Manipur. 



185. Rimator malacoptilus. The Long-billed Babbler. 



Rimator malacoptilus, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xvi, pp. 155, 864 878 



(1847) ; id. Cat. p. 338 j Horsf. $ M. Cat. ii, p. 717 ; Jerd. B. I. 



i, p. 493 ; Godio.-Aust. J. A. 8. B. xlv, pt. ii, p. 196 ; Hume, Cat. 



no. 335 ; Sharpe, Cat, B. M. vii, p. 594 ; Hume, S. F. xi, p. 121. 

 Caulodromus gracei, Gray fy Mitch. Gen. Birds, i, p. 143, pi. 44, 



fig. 4. 

 Merva ierdonii, Hodgs. Calc. Journ. N. H. viii, p. 46. r>l iii. fio- 9 



(1847). 



The Long-billed Wren, Jerd. ; Karriak-tunybrek-pho, Lepch. 



Fig. 51. Head of B. malacoptilus. 



Coloration. Forehead, crown, nape, sides of the neck, and mantle 

 dark rufescent brown, with very distinct fulvous shaft-streaks ; the 

 feathers of the back with the inner webs black, and the outer webs 

 brown and with pale fulvous shafts ; rump, upper tail-coverts, and 

 tail plain rufescent ; wing-coverts and the outer webs of the quills 

 rufous-brown, the former with pale shafts ; lores fulvous ; ear- 

 coverts rufous-ashy with paler shafts ; cheeks mingled black and 

 fulvous, with a black line above ; chin fulvous white ; throat, breast, 

 and abdomen rufescent brown, with large pale fulvous shaft- 

 streaks ; sides of body and thighs plain rufescent brown ; vent and 

 under tail-coverts ferruginous. 



Bill dark horny, fleshy at the base ; legs brownish red ; iris 

 light brown (Jerdon). 



JLength nearly 5 ; tail 1; wing 2-3; tarsus -9; bill from gape 

 "95. 



