NOTES ON INDIAN TIMELIIDES AND THEIR ALLIES. 431 



Baker, in the " Birds of N. Cachar", says that it is fairly common in North 

 and South Oachar, and the nidification the same as P. mandelli. 



Pellornetjm rtjficeps granti, Harington. 

 The Travancore Spotted Babbler. 



P. ruficeps (jranti, Harington, Bull. B. O. 0., xxxiii., p. 81 (1913). 



'' Adult male. — -Similar to P. ruficeps, Swains, but altogether a much darker 

 .and more richly coloured form. Head dark chestnut ; supercilium from 

 behind the eye pale buff with dusky tips ; the feathers on the forehead tipped 

 with black ; the feathers of the crown pale-shafted ; the whole upper plum- 

 iige, wings, and tail dark olive-brown tinged with rufous, tail not tipped 

 white ; chin and throat white ; breast white with oblong spot of dark olive- 

 brown producing a heavily streaked appearance ; sides of the breast and 

 flanks paler olive-brown ; irides dark red-brown ; bill above black, below 

 horny-white ; legs, feet, and claws pale fleshy. Length 178 mm. ; culmen 

 18 ; wing 76 ; tail 66 ; tarsus 28. 



Habitat. — -Travancore. 



Type in the British Museum : S • Mynall, 10. iii. 77. Hume coll. 



Observatioji. — When examining the series of skins of Pellorneum in the Natu- 

 ral History Museum, I noticed that a specimen from Travancore was a much 

 darker and more richly coloured bird than the rest. I pointed this out to 

 Mr. Ogilvie-Grant, who kindly wrote out to the Director of the Travancore 

 Museum for the loan of any specimens he might have. The Director most 

 ■obligingly forwarded five examples of Pellorneum from different parts of 

 India, and amongst them one from Travancore which is identical in colour 

 with the one in the National Museum, and shows that the Travancore bird is 

 undoubtedly distinct from the form found at Coonoor and further to the 

 north. I have therefore much pleasure in naming this very well-marked 

 sub-species after Mr. W. R. Ogilve-Grant." (Harington.) 



Pelloknbum ruficeps mandelli, Blanford. 

 The Himalayan Spotted Babbler. 



Pellorneum mandelli, Blanford, J. A. S. B., xli, p. ii., p. 165 (1844) ; Gates 

 P. B. I., i., p. 140 ; Baker, J. B. N. H. S., viii., p. 18. 



P. nepalensis, Sharpe, Cat., B. M., vii., p. 618. 



Similar to S. r. ruficeps, differs in having the mantle streaked. 



Descrip)tion. — Forehead and supercilium speckled with black ; lower neck 

 and upper back streaked with dark brown to black in the centre ; and at the 

 sides, the outer half of the feathers striped with the same colour as the 

 breast stripes, the inner half striped with whitish-buff' ; ear-coverts pale 

 rufous ; chin and throat white ; breast pale buff, heavily streaked with dark 

 umber-brown, and occasionally a few black stripes at the side of the neck ; 

 flanks and under-tail coverts olivaceous, latter tipped white. 



Note. — Many birds from Sikhim and other localities have the dark mark- 

 ings on the back wanting, this may be due to age. 



Wing : average of 14 specimens, 70 mm. ;max., 73 mm. ; min., 67 mm., Males 

 slightly the larger. 



Distribution. — Nepal, Sikhim, Bhutan Doars, Assam, Dibrugarh, Khasia and 

 Garo Hills, N. Cachar and Manipur, appearing again in the Bhamo District 

 and extending through the Shan States. In the Museum there are 6 

 specimens from the Southern Shan States ; these have the dark markings on 

 the mantle, but are slightly larger, average wing 71 mm., max., 75 mm., 

 min., 70 mm. and, I think, are referable to this species. 



Habits and Nestiny. — " Breeds from April to July, constructing a loose 

 domed nest of moss, leaves, and fibres on the ground. The eggs thTee to 

 four in number, are white speckled with chocolate or purplish-brown, and 

 measure -87" x -67". " 



