BIRDS OK TENASSERIM. 279 



[This is found equally iu all localities — dense forest, thin tree 

 or bamboo jungle, and even iu Avell-wooded gardens, not how- 

 ever in high grass or quite open land. It usually goes in pairs, 

 rarely singly, never in parties. It feeds almost entirely on the 

 ground amongst the dead leaves, which it hunts through and 

 turns over much like Trichastoma in a steady business-like 

 fashion. It is not at all shy, but when disturbed it usually flies 

 into some bush or bamboo clump, never high Tip into a tree, and 

 very soon descends to the ground again. 



Its note is a clear double whistle, which sounds exactly like 

 the words " Pretty dear, Pretty dear, &c." 



This they are continually uttering, and it is one of the 

 pleasantest calls one hears in the jungle, and may even be heard 

 inside the town of Moulmein. 



They live exclusively on insects, and their larvae and eggs, 

 ants' eggs especially. On sunny days in Burmah many species 

 of ants bring all their eggs out to sun them, especially if there 

 has been a good deal of rain recently, and then it is a grand find 

 for one of our " Pretty dears," when he happens to hit upon 

 such a drying ground and whips off all the eggs before the 

 poor ants well know what is happening. — W. D.j 



401 his. — Pomatorhinus phayrei, Bly. 



Said by Blyth to have occurred at Tavoy ; also he says in 

 Sikhim, the Khasias and Arracan. 



I think there is some mistake about its occurring in Sikhim. 

 It is difficult to make out from Blyth's original remarks in re- 

 gard to this species whether he did actually get a specimen from 

 Sikhim. It seems to me rather as if he simultaneously got 

 ferruginosum from Sikhim, and phayrei from Arracan, and 

 assumed the latter to be females. 



Certainly hitherto neither Mr. Mandelli nor Mr. Grammie 

 have succeeded in obtaining phayrei anywhere in Sikhim, and 

 it is hardly possible that any birds should have escaped Mr. 

 MandellPs collectors for all these years. 



This species is of the type of sc/iisticeps, but has no bright 

 rufous collar, and has the whole breast and abdomen uniform 

 rufous buff. I have unfortunately no specimen to describe, so I 

 am compelled to transcribe Blyth's not very clear descriptions. 



I note that Godwin-Austen, J. A. S. B., XLIX., pt. 

 II., 103, 1870, gives the dimensions of this species as : — 



"Length, 9 inches; extent, 1075 ; wing, 3*4 ; tail, 4 5; tarsus, 

 1*45 ; bill, 1-15 ; irides, pale yellow." 



Blyth first noticed this species, J. A. S. B., XIV., 597, 

 as the female of P. ferruginosus. 



_ "P. ferruginosus, nobis. — This beautiful species measures about 

 nine inches long, of which the tail is four and a quarter ; wing 



