472 NOTES ON THE AVIFAUNA OF MOUNT ABOO 



[Unknown throughout the rest of the region. This is the most 

 northern point reached by this species, the main home of which 

 appears to be the Vindhya and Satpoorah ranges as far east 

 as ,,Seonee, ^Central Provinces. — A. 0. H.] 



432.— Malacocircus terricolor, Hodgs. 



The Bengal Babbler is one of the commonest birds in this 

 part of the country, occurring abundantly both on the hills and 

 in the plains. I have entered it as terricolor, as the many 

 specimens I have shot, both at Aboo and in the plains, agree with 

 Dr. Jerdon's description of that species better than with any 

 of the others ; however I might be wrong and the bird I allude 

 to might possibly be M. malabaricus, but I do not think 

 that is likely. I have taken the nests about Deesa in July, 

 containing occasionally an egg of Coccystes Jacobinus. 



[Specimens from Aboo, Cutch, Kattiawar, Sindh and Jodh- 

 poor are, as a rule, not very typical examples of this species ; 

 the}' almost all exhibit a leaning (see Vol. I., p. 180) towards 

 malabaricus, but I have never seen a specimen from any of these 

 localities, which could be accepted as this latter species. — 

 A. 0. H.] 



436.— Malacocircus Malcolmi, Sykes. 



The Large Grey Babbler, readily distinguished from other 

 species by its larger size, blue forehead and nearly white lateral 

 tail feathers, is not nearly so common as the last. It seems, 

 however, to be generally distributed over the plains, occurring 

 generally in parties varying in number from five to nine or 

 ten. It lavs about Deesa during the rains, and I have taken the 



T "l 



nests m J uly. 



[Does not, so far as I know, extend into Sindh, but is more 

 or less common, at Sambhur and throughout the less desert 

 portions of Jodhpoor, Cutch and Kattiawar. Dr. King obtained 

 it at Aboo. A. O. H.] 



438— Chatarrhaea caudata, Dumerih 



The Striated Bush Babbler is common all over the plains, 

 but does not, I believe, ascend the hills. It is particularly 

 partial to low bush jungle, and breeds in July and August 

 during which months the nests, which are usually built in 

 low thick bushes {Zizyphm jujuba) or clumps of Sarpat grass, 

 abound. I have found as many as a dozen nests in one 

 afternoon in the month of July in the neighbourhood of Deesa, 

 many of which contained an q^ of Coccystes Jacobinus 

 as well the eggs of the Babbler. Four seems to be the normal 

 number of eijgs laid, though I have often taken nests with 

 five. 



