326 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. &OCIETY, Vol. XXUl 



Craxekopus gbiseus steiatus, Swainson. 



The Ceylon Babbler. 



Malacocerus stnatus, Swains, Zool. 111., p, 127 (1831), 



Crateropus striatus, Sharpe, Gat. B.M., vii., p. 481; Gates, F.B.I., i,,p.ll2. 



Description. — As in Gates, F.B.I. 



Distribution. — Ceylon. 



I have carefully examined all the specimens in the Museum, and cannot 

 find a single one of C, g. striatus from S, India. There are, however, 

 numerous skins of C. terricolor malabaricus, Jerdon, from Goty and Coonoor 

 on the label of one, in Mr. Gates' handwriting, is written striatus and I 

 think he miist have considered these birds to be C. striatum, when he notes 

 that it occurs in S. India. 



e.g. striatus, from Ceylon is a much smaller bird ; and as mentioned by 

 Jerdon, has a smaller bill. The feathers of the breast are broad in shape, 

 and broion edged ivith grey, giving a mottled appearance. 



C. t. malabaricus, Jerdon, from Goty and Coonoor, is a larger bird, with a 

 much longer and stouter bill. The feathers of the breast are long and narrow, 

 and brownish in colour, with lohitish triangular shaft streaks, lohich give the 

 breast a streaked appearance. 



While going through the skins of " C. canorus," in the British Museum, 

 I found the following specimens which are almost identical with C.g. 

 striatus from Ceylon, and seem to form a connecting link between C.g. griseus 

 emd C.g. striatus. These five skins are all labelled "C.canorus," and are 

 from the following localities. 



c? January, 1871, Godavery Valley ; cJ 1-4-71, Eajamundry ; cJ 

 14-1-70, S. E. Berar ; $ 19-3-71, EUore (see Blanford Coll.) : $ 27-4-76, 

 Grissa (Hume Coll.) 



Whether these are C. g. striatus, or as I think only C.g. griseus, or still 

 yet another race I am unable to say, and hope that members in the above 

 localities will collect specimens of this very common species to settle the 

 point. 



There are also in the Museum specimens of C. g. griseus collected by 

 Blanford at " Godavery Valley " and " Ellore " evidently at the same 

 time as the above, these are all typical skins of C. g. griseus, having the 

 white head and dark breast, whilst the above mentioned specimens labelled 

 " canorus " have the head the same colour as the back. The shape of bill, 

 colour of wings and tail, etc., are all in these specimens from the above 

 localities the same, and I think it most improbable that there should 

 be two sub-species of the same race inhabiting this locality. I also 

 consider that C. striatus is nothing more than a geographical race 

 of C. griseus or more correctly the latter is a sub-species of the 

 former. 



Ckatebopus terricolor sojiervillii, Sykes. 



The Bombay Babbler. 



Timalia somervillii, Sykes, P. Z. S., 1832, p. 88. 



Crateropus somerdllii, Sharpe, Cat. B. M., vii., p. 482; Gates, F. B. I., 

 i., p. 113. 



Description. — As in Gates, F.B.I. 



Distribution. — The Western Ghats from Tranvancore up to the Island 

 of Bombay. 



I think this is only a sub-species of C. t, terricolor, and most probably 

 grades into C. t. malabaricus. 



