NOTES ON INDIAN TIMELIIDES AND THEIR ALLIES. 63 



Group 3. 



Babax. 

 Bill slightly curved, not notched, and equal to or longer than the hind-toe 

 and claw in length : tail longer than the wing, and considerably graduated; 

 wing rounded, the first four primaries graduated, the fifth longest, sixth 

 equal to the fourth : rictal bristles very pronounced ; nostrils oval, exposed, 

 and overhung with numerous hairs : size medium ; upper plumage streaked, 

 eggs spotless blue, and approaching Avgya in coloration. 



Group 4. 



ACANTHOPTILA. 



" Bill moderately long, compressed, very gently curved, pointed, entire ; 

 rectal bristles few and small, wing feeble, much rounded ; tail long and 

 broad ; tarsus moderately long, stout, lateral toes nearly equal ; claws 

 moderately curved ; plumage with black and shining shafts." — (Jerdon 

 B. I., ii., p. 57.) 



Group 5. 



Gabritlax cinereifkons (Blyth.). 

 This bird is peculiar to Ceylon and I think should be placed in a genus 

 by itself. Gates places it amongst the Crateropus, whilst other writers 

 refer it to the Laughing Thrushes {Garrulax) . It is certainly much nearer 

 the latter in the description of its plumage. Gates points out that his 

 reasons for placing it amongst the Babblers, is that the feathers of its 

 forehead are rounded and approach Crateropus in which he placed it. Its 

 eggs, I believe, have not yet been authenticated, but Mr. Stuart Baker 

 informs me that they are possibly white ; if this is the case, it is at once 

 sufficient to remove it from amongst the Babblers, whose eggs are uni- 

 formly a rich verditer-blue. 



Key. 



A. — Bill straight, or not strikingly curved, and less 

 than hind-toe and claw in length. 



a. Covering membrane of nostrils bare : frontal 

 feathers with shafts or webs lengthened. 

 a}. Nostrils nearly hidden br a profusion 

 of bristles and hairs springing from the 

 forehead . . . . . . . . . . Dryonastes. 



b^. Nostrils clearly visible but overhung 



with numerous bristles . . . . . . Garrulax. 



c^. Nostrils not overhung with bristles, 

 but merely by a few long and fine hairs. 

 a"^. The feathers of upper plumage 

 not stiff shafted. 



a^. Secondaries tipped white . . lanthocincla. 

 ¥. Secondaries not tipped white, 

 a*. Bill slender, upper plu- 

 mage plain . . . . Stactocichla. 



¥. Bill stout, upper plumage 



striated . . . . . . Grammatoptila. 



b'^. The feathers of upper plumage 



stiff' shafted. . . . . . . . Acanthoptila. 



d}. Nostrils perfectly free and exposed, 



and not overhung with hairs or bristles. Trochalopterum. 



