yOTES ON INDIAN TIMELIIDES AND THEIR ALLIES. 333 



POMATOKHINUS HOKSFIELDI HORSFIELDI, Sykes. 



The Deccan Scimitar Babbler. 



F. horsfieldi, Sykes, P. Z. S., 1832, p. 89, Sharpe, Cat. B. M., vii., p. 4ir, ; 

 Oates, F. B. 1., i., p. 119. 



Description.— V^^^eT plumage earthy brown, head the same colour as 

 back ; a white supercilium from the nostrils to the nape ; chin, throat, 

 breast and middle of the abdomen white, in many specimens traces of a 

 blackish line dividing the white of the breast from the upper plumage" 

 This sub-species is intermediate both in colour and geographical distribu- 

 tion, between P. h. ohscurus and P. h. travancoreensis sub-sp. nov. and is 

 more nearly allied to the former. 



Distiibution. — Bombay, Mahableshwar, Khandalla, Kanara, the plains of 

 Mysore, Madras, and the Deccan. 



POMATOKHINUS HORSFIELDI OBSCUBUS, Hume. 



Hume's Scimitar Babbler. 



F. obscurus, Hume, S. F., i., p. 7 (1873) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M., vii., p. 416 ; 

 Oates, F. B. I., i., p. 120. 



Desci-ij^tion. — As in Oates, F. B. I. 



This sub-species is distinguishable by a total want of a black band 

 separating the white of the breast from the upper plumage. 



Distribution.— M.t. Abu and Seoni. More specimens are required to decide 

 the exact range of this sub-species, especially to the North and East. 



P0MAT0K,HINUS HORSFIELDI TRAVANCOREENSIS, Sub-Sp. nOV. 



The Southern Indian Scimitar Babbler. 



Description. — -Upper plumage a rich olive-brown ; head decidedly darker 

 and with numerous black feathers ; the tail in many specimens being black 

 at the end ; a conspicuous white supercilium- from the nostrils to the nape ; 

 a line below the supercilium, cheeks, ear-coverts and a band continued down 

 the sides of the breast, and encircling it black, many of the feathers having 

 white streaks : chin, throat, breast and centre of abdomen white, flanks and 

 sides of the body greyish brown. 



Some specimens from Travancore, Ooty and Coonoor, are very black on 

 the heads and tails. 



Ti/pe in the British Museum from Peermall, Travancore. S. India. 

 Surgeon-Major W. Fry., Coll. 



Distribution. — Travancore, the Nilghiri and Palni Hills. 



POMATORHINUS HORSFIELDI MBLANURUS, Blyth. 



The Ceylon Scimitar Babbler. 



Pomatorhinus melanurus, Blyth, J.A.S.B., xvi., p. 451 (1847) ; Sharpe 

 Cat. B. M., vii., p. 414 ; Oates, F. B. I., i., p. 118; Wardlaw-Ramsay, Ibis 

 1878, p. 132. 



Description. — As in Oates, F. B. I. 



Both Sharpe and Wardlaw-Ramsay point out the differences between 

 birds from the dry and wet zones of Ceylon. Sharpe quotes Legge, who 

 says that there is a complete " gradation between the most ferruginous 

 birds, which come from the damp districts of the south, where climate and 

 heat are combined, to that of the hill birds from the upper zone is very 

 perfect, a complete sequence being obtainable on going up through the 

 " Wilderness of the Peak " from the lowlying portions of Saffragam to the 

 Horton Plains.' 



