288 BIRDS OF TENASSERIM. 



408 bis.— Garrulax strepitans, Tick. (20). 



2,000 feet above Paraduba ; Mooleyit. 



Confined to the higher slopes of Mooleyit. 



[From about 3,500 feet elevation, to the highest point of 

 Mooleyit to which the heavy forest extends, this speeies is not by 

 any means uncommon, occurring in small flocks of 20 or more, 

 and keeping entirely, so far as I have observed, to the forest, 

 specially to the ravines where this is densest. Though very like 

 G. belangeri both in voice and habits, it is very shy of man, and 

 so far from following one about, the sight of anybody is quite 

 sufficient to cause it to beat a very rapid retreat, which it does by 

 threading its way to the top of the nearest tree, and thence flying 

 to the top of the next, and thence to the next, and so on, till it 

 has got some hundreds of yards away, when it again descends 

 to the ground. All this while the whole flock keeps up an inces- 

 sant clamour. With a dog, however, it is different. This animal 

 seems to excite their curiosity, and they will follow a dog about 

 from tree to tree, peering down and jeering at him in the 

 most uproarious fashion. 



The best plan to shoot them is, when one has discovered a flock, 

 to keep perfectly quiet and send one's dog towards them, when 

 they will be drawn as the dog returns within easy shot. Without 

 a dog they are extremely difficult to get at. I have seen a dozen 

 or more of these dancing together, on a huge branch, much 

 as belangeri does on the ground. It was whilst a party was 

 thus busy that one of my men killed twelve with a single shot ! 



The stomachs of all the many specimens I examined contain- 

 ed nothing but beetles and ants. 



I should notice that on Mooleyit and its spurs there seems to 

 be a zone, between 2,500 and 3,500, in which neither this nor 

 belangeri occur, this latter not ascending, and the present species 

 not descending, into it. In this zone, however, chinensis is com- 

 mon. — W. D.] 



The following are the dimensions and colors of the soft parts, 

 recorded in the flesh, of this species : — 



Males. — Length, 11*62 to 12*1 ; expanse, 15*5 to 16 8 ; tail 

 from vent, 5*1 to 55 ; wing, 515 to 5 - 6 ; tarsus, 1*75 to 1*9 ; 

 bill from gape, 1-3 to 1*45 ; weight, 4-5 to 5 ozs. 



Females. — Length, 11*25 to 12*0; expanse, 16 to 16*5; tail 

 from vent, 4*8 to 5-5 ; wing, 5*25 to 5*45; tarsus, 1*6 to 1*8 ; 

 bill from gape, 1*3 to 1*45 ; weight, 4*25 to 4*75 ozs. 



The legs and feet are very dark brown, sometimes brown 

 black ; the claws paler ; bill black ; irides generally lake red, some- 

 times crimson. 



Forehead, lores, feathers under the eye, feathers at the base 

 of the lower mandible, chin and sides of the throat, and bases 



