NOTJES ON INDIAN TIMELIIBES AND THEIR ALLIES. 61 



Description. — Similar to P. g. gularis (Blyth). Differs in being " smaller ; bill 

 less powerful ; under plumage more suffused with fulvous buff. Bill of the 

 same length as that of P. g. gularis, but not so thick. Wing 86-89 m.m." 



Distribution. — South of the Brahmaputra, Assam, Cachar, Khasia Hills, the 

 Shan States and Karennee, and probably the intervening country. 



t Neosuthoka, n. gen. 



I propose the above generic name with N. d. davidiana (Slater) as type. 



Differs from Suthora in having an extremely short tail, which is much short- 

 er than wing : also a much thicker bill, which is as deep at the base as it is 

 long from the gape. It is very similar to Psittiparus in structural charac- 

 teristics, and differs chiefly in size. It will be most interesting to know what 

 the eggs of this genus are like, whether they are spotless as in Suthora, or 

 spotted as in Psittiparus, 



Neosxjthoba davidiana thompsoni, Bingham. 

 Binyhani's Parrot-billed Babbler. 



Suthora thompsoni, Bingham, Bull. B. O. C, xiii, p. 63, 1903. 



Description. — Resembles iV. d. davidiana, Slater, f rom Foh-kien ; but is dis- 

 tinctly smaller and differs in the points noted below: Forehead, crown, sides of 

 the head and nape chestnut, of a much deeper colour than in N. d. davidiana, 

 and not extending to the upper back ; along the posterior margin of the nape 

 the chestnut colour gets somewhat paler; back, rump and wing coverts clear, 

 rather dark, ash-grey ; wings brown, the quill feathers secondaries and ter- 

 tiaries with the outer margins narrowly light chestnut ; upper tail-coverts 

 and the outer web of the tail feathers above chestnut, of a lighter shade 

 than the colour of the head ; inner web of the tail feathers brown ; chin and 

 throat uniform deep-black, entirely without the white spots so conspicuous 

 in N. d. davidiana ; upper breast albescent, remainder of the breast and 

 flanks grey like the back ; abdomen, lower tail-coverts and tail beneath pale- 

 ochraceous ; bill (in the skin) yellow, (in the flesh) " fleshy pink "; irides red- 

 dish brown : legs and feet " fleshy yellow " ( Craddock ). 



Length: Female, 3'7 — 3'8 inches ; wing 2"1 ; tail l"45 ; bill from gape 0'3 ; 

 tarsus "65. 



Hab. — " Shot north-east of Kyatpyin village near the Paunglaung 

 stream in Loilong State at 2,500 feet on 18th March 1902 " (Craddock). 



Family — Cratbropodid^. 



Gates, F. B. I., i., p. 71. 



The Crateropodidce, consist of two well marked Sub-Families. (1) d'a- 

 teropodince. (2) Pomatorhince (the Laughing Thrushes and Babblers, 

 and the Scimitar-Babblers.) 



I have raised this section of the Timeliides to Family rank, it consists 

 of two very distinct Sub-families, which are quite distinct in their char- 

 acteristics, although they appear to grade from one into the other, through 

 Babax waddelli, Dresser. 



" The Crateropodince agree in being gregarious, extremely noisy, cautious 

 but inquisitive and frequently bold. No birds can hide themselves better, 

 but on the whole they do not shun observation as the Timeliidce ." — (Gates). 



They are chiefly noticeable for their extremely large legs and feet ; their 

 small rounded wings ; they are non-migratory and partly arboreal and 

 partly territorial in their habits. 



t Neostjthora davidiana davidiana, Slater. 

 Suthora davidiana. Slater ; Ibis. 1897, p. 172. 

 Hab.—N. W. Foh-kien, China. 



