NOTES ON INDIAN TIMELIIDES AND THEIR ALLIES. 315 



In the Salween-Mekong water-shed, we have the connecting link between 

 the spotted and unspotted groups. In the British Museum there are 

 three specimens of T. melanostigma, collected by Mr. H. N. Thompson, 

 which have the breast obsoletely spotted, the feathers of the breast also 

 being edged with pale grey, these as connecting links I think are worthy of 

 sub-specific rank. 



Key. 



A. — Back and breast with large dark spots. 



a. These spots black. 



a}. No conspicuous grey supercilium. 



a-. Ear-coverts chestnut, • tipped black 



and white . . . . . . . . T. e. erythrocepJialum. 



V^. Ear-coverts black margined pinkish 



white . . . . . . . . . . T. e. nigrimentum. 



c^. Ear-coverts chestnut like the crown . . T. e. erythrolcema . 

 b^. A conspicuous grey supercilium. 



(P. Ear-coverts chestnut . . . . . . T. e. godioini. 



e^. Ear-coverts grey with black shaft 



streaks . . . . . . . . T. e. looodi. 



b. Spots on breast and back brown and 



lunate in shape . . . . . . . , T. e. ehrysopterum. 



B, — No spots on back or breast. 



c. Chin and throat only rufous . . . . T. m. melanostigma. 



d. Chin, throat and breast rufous . . . . T. on. ramsayi. 



Distribution. — T. e. erythrocephalum (Vigors), N. W. Himalayas to Nepal ; 

 T. e. nigrimentum (Hodgson), Nepal to Daphla Hills, Assam ; T. e. 

 ehrysopterum (Gould), Khasia Hills (only); T. e. godioini (Harington), 

 Cachar and Naga Hills and Western Munipur ; T. e. erythrolcema (Hume), 

 E. Manipur and Chin Hills ; T. e. tooodi, sub-sp., nov., N. Shan States and 

 probably the Bhamo Hills ; T. m. ramsayi (O. Grant), Karennee ; T. m. 

 melanostigma (Blyth), Southern Shan States and Tenasserim ; T. m. penin- 

 sula; (Sharpe), Malay Peninsula. 



Tbochalopterum erythkocephalum erythrocephalxjm. Vigors. 

 The Himalayan Chestnut-headed Laughing Thrush. 



Cinclosoma erythrocephalum, Vigors, P. Z. S., 1831, p. 171. 



Trochalopterum erythrocephalum, Gates, F. B. I., i., p. 89 ; Sharpe, Cat. 

 B. M., vii., p. 360. 



Description. — As in the F. B. I. breast and neck spotted with black ; fore- 

 head, crown and nape chestnut ; ear-coverts chestnut tipped black and 

 white ; chin and throat black tinged with chocolate ; the underparts much 

 paler than in any of the other allied races. 



" The only variation this bird exhibits is in the colour of the ear-coverts ; 

 Nepal birds have a great deal of black on the ear-coverts, and the black 

 diminishes in quantity as we proceed towards the north-west, till on ar- 

 rival at Chumba the ear-coverts are almost entirely chestnut." (Gates.) 



Distribution. — The Himalayas from Chamba to Nepal. 



Trochalopterum erythrocephalum nigrimentum, Hodgson. 

 The Sikhim Chestnut-headed Laughing Thrush. 



T. ehrysopterum, Sharpe, Cat. B. M., vii., p. 362. 

 T. nigrimentum. Gates, F. B. I., i., p. 91. 



Descnption. — As in the F. B. I. breast and neck spotted with black; the 

 forepart of the head dark rufous and the feathers black-shafted ; crown 



