ASSAM, SYLHET AND CACHAR. 159 



towards the south-east a great number of the specimeus have 



the whole lower abdomen this colour, and a broader or narrower 



band of this running up the middle of the upper abdomen, 



and a dash of this colour on the breast. But this difference 



is not specific, for some specimens are absolutely identical with 



Sikhim ones, but I have no doubt that a good deal further south 



or east a distinguishable species will turn up with the entire 



abdomen, and perhaps lower breast, of this orange ferruginous. 



The following are exact particulars of three specimens : — 



Length, Expanse. Tail. Wing. Tarsus. Mil from gape. Weight. 



$ ... 9 7 12-0 4-5 3 8 1-3 10 18 ozs. 



„ .,10-4 12*2 4-3 3 95 1'46 1-06 2-13 „ 



$ ...100 120 4-3 3-9 1-41 097 2-2 ., 



Legs and feet blackish brown to black ; bill black ; irides 

 brownish maroon to ruby red and crimson. 



This species is universally distributed throughout the 

 higher portions of the level country in Assam, Sylhet and 

 Cachar, but it does not, I believe, ascend the Garo, Khasi or 

 Naga hills to any considerable elevation, nor do I know of its 

 occurrence in the very low portions of Sylhet. It does not, I 

 believe, extend to British Burmah. 



[Very common in Dibrutiarh, where it frequents forests, 

 secondary jungle and even the tea gardens. Assamese, Doo- 

 pooleeka. — J. R. C] 



412.— Garrulax pectoralis, Gould. 



This species is common in the Barak valley between Kala- 

 naga and Koombiron, and again in the valley of the Eerung, 

 but neither in the basin nor in the Eastern hills did I ever 

 see or hear it. I say hear it because these birds are very 

 noisy and keep up an incessant, squeaky, fractious, querulous 

 cry — a sort of grumbling, discontented ** week, week, week," 

 &c., through the nose. 



In this species the legs and feet are pale silvery leaden ; 

 the bill dusky, pale horny bluish at the base of the lower 

 mandible ; the irides reddish brown ; the pectoral gorgets in 

 my few Manipur specimens are blacker and broader than in 

 any others of our large series. I have this from N.-E. Cachar, 

 Sadiya and many localities in the Dibrugarh district, and 

 Godwin-Austen obtained it in the Khasi hills and includes it 

 in his Dafla hill list, but this is all I know of its distribution 

 in Assam, Sylhet and Cachar. 



In British Burmah it seems somewhat sparingly distributed 

 in all suitable localities in Arakan and Northern and Central 

 Tenasserim and to be common in Northern Pegu. 



