146 RUOPOPHILUS 



ad. (Mongolia). Differs from R. albisuperciliaris in having the upper 

 parts darker than that species, especially on the head ; sides of the head 

 and neck dark ashy ; supercilium ashy grey ; flanks more strongly striped 

 with rufous and washed with vinous chesnut ; bill brown, the lower 

 mandible yellowish at the base ; legs rufous ; iris clear pale yellow. Cul- 

 men 0*55, wing 2*4, tail 3'7, tarsus 0'95 inch. 



Hob. Mongolia, the Alaschan Mountains, the valley of the 

 Chuanche, and Northern China. 



It is a resident frequenting dense bushes amongst which it 

 creeps with ease. Its flight is easy but it seldom flies far, 

 usually only from bush to bush. Its song is sweet but of 

 short duration. Nothing is so far as I can ascertain, as yet 

 known of its nidification. 



207. WHITE-BROWNED BABBLER. 

 RHOPOPHILUS ALBISUPERCILIARIS. 



Rhopoplrilus albosuperciliaris (Hume and Henders.), Lahore to Yark. r 

 p. 218, pi. xviii. (1873) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. p. 117 ;. 

 Pleske, Prjevalsky's Reisen, ii. p. 131 ; R. pekinensis var. major, 

 Prjev. Mongol i Strana Tangut, ii. p. 32, No. 42 (1876) ; R. deserti,, 

 id. Izv. J. R. Geogr. Obtsch. xiii. p. 285. 



g ad. (Yarkand). Upper parts sandy brown, clearly streaked with 

 blackish brown ; upper tail-coverts uniform ; wings and tail brown margined 

 with pale sandy brown, the outer tail-feathers terminated with white ; lore& 

 and supercilium buffy white ; ear-coverts isabelline ; cheeks whitish, 

 separated from the ear-coverts by a black stripe ; under parts white, the 

 sides of the breast and flanks streaked with pale rufous ; bill dark brown,, 

 fleshy at the base below ; legs flesh-coloured ; iris dark brown. Culmen 

 0'6, wing 2-65, tail, 3'82, tarsus 0'9 inch. 



Hob. Turkestan east to the valley of the Tarim and the Lob- 

 nor, where it is resident. 



Frequents dense bush thickets amongst which it creeps like 

 a mouse and appears to prefer those composed of Halimodendron 

 and Nitraria schoberi. It runs swiftly on the ground amongst 

 the roots of the bushes, where it probably obtains its food which 

 consists chiefly at least in the autumn and winter of the berries- 

 of Nitraria schoberi. In the desert it is generally found on the 

 oases where there are bushes. In flight it makes a noise with 

 the wings reminding one of a Hazelgrouse rising. Its call- 

 note is a whistle and a peculiar harsh sound, and its song which 

 is clear and pleasing, is usually heard in the morning and even- 

 ing as late as November. In the autumn and winter they 



