NOTES ON INDIAN TIMELIIDES AND THEIR ALLIES. 429' 



scrub jungle and brush-wood, and going about in small parties. Nesting 

 from April to July, building an untidy dome-shaped nest of grass and leaves 

 on or near the ground. And laying from two to four white eggs spotted 

 with bright red, measuring from '66" to "78" by -S" to -55". 



DUMETIA ALBIGTJLARIS ABUENSIS, Sp. nOV. 



The Mt. Abu Babbler. 



Description. — Similar to D. a. albigularis, Blyth. Differs in having the 

 whole crown chestnut, instead of the forehead only being a pale rufous ; 

 and under i^arts much darker. 



" Iris, birds from Deesa, dark brown." (Gates.) 



Distribution. — The country round Mt. Abu, Deesa, and down to Maha- 

 bleshwar I can find nothing recorded about birds from the above localities, 

 but their habits most probably are the same as the last species. 



GROUP V. 



Peilokneum. 



This group consists of Pellorneum, Scotocichla, Drymocataphus, and Rhopod- 

 chla, I am very doubtful about the last, whether it should be in this group 

 at all, as the shape of its bill approaches that of the Alcippe type. 



They have the following characteristics : feathers of the crown soft shaft- 

 ed ; no very great difference between the length of the wings and tail ; legs 

 and feet remarkably strong ; and short rounded wings, the first four pri- 

 maries graduated, 



N. B. — I think some of the species in this group are at present in the 

 wrong genera. 



Pellokneum, Swainson, 1831. 



Cinclidia, Gould ; Hemipteron, Hodgson. 



Jerdon, ii., p. 27 ; Gates, F. B. I., i., p. 139. 



"Bill moderate straight and compressed, and about three-fourths the 

 length of the head, slightly hooked at the tip, and notched ; the nostrils not 

 overhung by hairs, and the rictal bristles are extremely short. The wings 

 and tail are about equal in length ; tarsus moderate ; feet large ; middle 

 toe lengthened ; laterals barely unequal; hind toe long ;|claws tolerably curv- 

 ed." (Gates and Jerdon.) 



" Bill slender, nasal opening linear, rictal bristles short not reaching to 

 the nostrils ; tail as long as the wing, strongly rounded, about twice and a 

 half the length of the tarsus, this latter strong at least an inch in length ; 

 toes long and strong ; crown more or less rufous, bordered by a distinct 

 paler eye-brow ; lower surface, at least the chest, distinctly striped with 

 brown." — Buttikofer, Notes, Leyden Museum, Vol. xvii, p. 75. 



This genus has the following characteristics : a short rounded wing ; fitting 

 close to the body, the first four primaries graduated ; wing and tail about 

 equal ; the feathers of the forehead soft ; bill long and straight ; rictal 

 bristles very short ; no hairs overhanging the nostrils ; under plumage 

 streaked. 



It falls into three sub-groups, the last two are in appearance much nearer 

 to Drymocataphus, and I think should be included in that genus. 



i. P. ruficeps. 



Are most noticeable for their rufous-capped heads, and under parts boldly 

 striped with dark brown, giving them a regular "Tit-lark" appearance. 



