180 Contributions to the Ornithology of India, 8fc. 



432.— Malacocercus terricolor, Eodgs. 



The Sindh babbleTs are not exactly typical terricolor: they are 

 to a certain extent intermediate between this and malaharicii,s ; 

 that is to say^ they have the striations of the back caused by the 

 light centering to the feathers much more conspicuous than in 

 typical terricolor. The distinctness however of malabaricus and 

 this latter is^ I think^ very questionable ; on the one side of India 

 these Sindh birds form to a certain extent a link between two ; 

 on the East again^ birds from Raipoor^ form another connecting 

 linkj decidedly nearer to malaharicus than terricolor, and absolutely 

 identical with specimens from Seegore on the north-eastern 

 slopes of the Neil^herries ; while a specimen from Coonoor on 

 the south-eastern slopes of the Neilgherries is intermediate be- 

 tween these and the typical malabaricus, which I have both 

 from Ootacamund and Kullar, on the south-west slopes of the 

 Neilgherries. 



Mr. Blythj I note^ identified this species with canorus, L., 

 but Mr. Gray I see considers this to be a Chinese species. 

 and I have therefore retained Mr, Hodgson^s name. 



438.— Chatarrhea caudata. Bum. 



Common everywhere, even up in the bare rocky hills^ where 

 scarcely a single other living thing was seen. Near Kussmore 

 I fancied that I saw^ C. 'EarleL Bl.j but I secured no specimen 

 and never noticed it again^ so I was probably mistaken. 



443.— Laticilla Burnesi, Blytli. 



I first m-et with this species on the banks of the Chenab near 

 the junction with the Indus. I next found it on the banks of 

 the Indus near Mittencote. Then again it was comparatively 

 abundant between Skikarpoor and Sukkur^ near Larkhana, 

 and subsequently in several other localities in Upper Sindh. 

 It was only found in high grass jungle, was almost impossible 

 to flush, and when once disturbed, climbed about in the interior 

 of the reeds and grass, very seldom indeed affording a chance 

 of a shot. I procured a considerable number of specimens, but 

 they cost me far more trouble than any other bird I met with 

 in Sindh except Cettia sericea, Natt. which latter is the ne plus 

 tiltra of little skulks. 



The following are the correct dimensions, &c., of this species. 

 I may premise that the sexes do not differ materially in size. 

 Length, 7*3 to 7' 7; expanse, 6-3 to 7; tail from vent, 4 to 

 4-8; wing, 3 to 3-3; tarsus, 0-85 to 0*9; hind toe and claw, 

 0-51 to 0-54; bill at front, 0-4; from gape, 0-6 to 0-65. The 

 legs and feet are pale horny brown^ or brownish fleshy; the bill 



