NOTES ON INDIAN TIMELIIDES AND THEIR ALLIES. 335 



Distribution. — Toungoo and Karen Hills, also Byingyi Mt., Yemathin 

 District, Upper Burma, where it was procured by Mr Gates. 



PoMATORHIiSrUS RUFICOLLIS, GrOUp. 



The Rufous-neched Scimitar Babblers. 



Godwin-Austin, J. A. S. B., xliii., Pt. ii., p. 160 and xlv., Pt. ii., p. 75 ; 

 AVardlaw-Ramsay, Ibis, 1878, p. 138 ; Seebohm, Ibis, 1884, p. 129. 



This group consists of the smallest Scimitar-Babblers, and has a very 

 extensive range, from Nepal to China ; and falls into four well-marked 

 geographical races. 



Both Seebohm and Wardlaw- Ramsay draw attention to the difference 

 between birds from China, and those from the Himalayas, but neither 

 mention the chief difference. Birds from Nepal to Yunnan have rather a 

 long curved bill, both the culmen and the lower edge of the lower mandi- 

 ble being curved, whilst birds from China proper have a shorter and stouter 

 bill, the culmen only being curved and the lower edge of the lower man- 

 dible being almost straight. 



Godwin-Austin also draws attention to the difference between the birds 

 from the Dafla Hills in Assam, to those from other parts of the province. 

 This is qtiite natural, the boundary being the Bramaputra River birds to 

 the North, i. e., from Nepal, Sikhim, Butan and the Dafla hills are iden- 

 tical and typical, P. rujicollis rujicollis, Hodgson. 



Birds, south of the Bramaputra from Khasia hills, Manipur, Naga and 

 Chin Hills, and Western Yunnan and the Bhamo hills, are paler and more 

 olive above, and instead of being a distinct brown and white below, are 

 fulvous and white ; and less richly coloured than those from the Himalayas, 

 the bill also is more slender than in P. r. ruficoUis. As birds from this 

 locality have not been described, I propose the name P. 7-nJicolHs haJieri, 

 Sub sp. nov. after Mr. E. C. Stuart Baker. 



In China we have P. niflcolUs stridulus, Swinhoe, from Szechuen and 

 Fokien. 



And P. ruficoUis styani, Seebohm, from the Yangtze Vallej-, China. 



Key. 



A. Bill average about 20 m.m. (the exposed portion of culmen to tip) 

 gonys curved. 



a. Upper Plumage Ruddy-brown, Lower plumage, 



brown and white. P. r. ruficollis. 



b. Upper Plumage Olive-brown, Lower plumage 



olive-fulvous and white P. r. baJceri. 



B. Bill average about 16 mm., gonys straight. 



c. Rich ruddy brown above, chestnut brown and 



white below. P. s. stridulus. 



d. Pale ruddy-biown above, olive-brown and 



white below. P. s. sti/ an 



POMATOBHIJTUS RXJFICOILIS RUFICOLLIS, HodgSOn. 



The Nepal rufous-necked Scimitar Babbler. 

 P. ruficollis, Hodgson, as Res., xix., p. 182 (1836) ; Sharpe. Cat. B.M., 

 vii., p. 426 ; Gates, F.B.I., i., p. 122. 

 Description. — As in Gates, F.B.I. 



Birds from Nepal to the Dafla hills have, as stated by Godwin-Austin, 

 rather stouter feet and legs, and are much richer and redder in colouring 

 and darker birds. 

 20 



