NOTES ON INDIAN TIMELIIDES AND THEIR ALLIES. 327 



Obateropus rufesoens, Blyth. 



The Ceylon Rufous Babbler. 



Mcclacocercus rufescens, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xvi., p. 453 (1847). 

 Garndax rufescens, Sharpe, Cat. B. M., vii. 

 Crateropus rufescens, Oates, F. B. I., i. p. 114. 

 Description. — As in Gates, F. B. I. 

 Distnbution.- — The Island of Ceylon. 



GROUP III, 



Babax, David, 1876. 



Bill gently curved, not notched, and equal, to the hind-toe and claw in 

 length ; tail considerably longer than the wing, and greatly graduated ; 

 the outer tail feather falling short of the central pair by more than the 

 length of the tarsus; wing rounded, the first four primaries graduated, the 

 fifth longest ; sixth equal to the fourth ; rictal bristles very pronounced ; 

 nostrils, oval, exposed and overhung by numerous hairs; size medium. 



This small and interesting, genus form a link between the true Laughing 

 Thrvishes and Babblers. They only come within Indian limits, in Tibet, 

 and the Chin and Bhamo Hills, on the North West and N. East of Burma. 



Babax lanceolatus lanceolatus, Verreaux. Inhabits Moupin, W. Szechuen, 

 and S. China ; and has been erroneously recorded from within Indian 

 limits. 



Babax I. yunnanensis, Rippon. Which is hardly separable from the last, 

 is foumd in Yunnan and the Kachin Hills in the Bhamo District. 



Babax I. bonavaloti, Guslalet. Described from So, Tibet. 



Babax kosloioi kosloioi, Bianchi. Tibet. 



Babax k. victories, Rippon. Which is very similar to the last, has at 

 present only been recorded from the Chin hills on the west of Burma. 



Babax ivaddelli, Dresser. From Tibet. 



There are at present only a very few specimens of these species in the 

 British Museum so that at present it is impossible to decide whether all 

 these races really exist. The eggs of all known species are a spotless 

 blue. 



Babax lanceolatus lanceolatus, Verreaux. 

 The Chinese Babax. 



VettrorUnus lanceolatus, T. Verr. N. Arch. Mus., Paris. VI., Bull, p. 36, 

 1891. 



Babax lanceolatus, Sharpe, Cat. B. M., vii., p. 352. 



lanthocincla lanceolatus, Hartert, Pal. Vog., i., p. 627. 



Description.^As in "Bhamo Birds," J. B. N. H. S., Vol. xix p, 113. 



Distribution. — W. Szechnen, Moupin, S. Schensi, China. 



The only record I can find of the occurrence of this species in India is 

 in the J. A. S. B., Vol. Ixxi., Part II., No. Ill, 1902. 



''Notes on a collection of birds made by Lt.-Wood, R. E., at Kampalet 

 Mt. Victoria." When Babax lanceolatus is included, this must be Babax 

 k. victorire, Rippon, which was described practically from the same locality. 



Babax lanceolatus yunnanensis, Rippon. 

 The Yunnan Babax. 



Rippon, Bull B. G. C, xii, p. 96 (1905) ; Harington, B. N. H. S. J. 

 xix., p. 113 (1909), and Ibis p. 14. 



Description. — Similar to B. I. lanceolatus, Verreaux, but the base of the 

 bill chestnut, instead of black. I think this is a very poor sub-species, 

 19 



