NOTES ON IJSBIAN TIMELIIDES AND TREIR ALLIES. 433 



Distribution. — Malay Peninsula, Tenasserim, Pegu, Toungoo, the Karen 

 Hills. (Gates). 



Habits and Nesting. — A noisy little bird, keeping to dense under growth, 

 and has a monotonous call of " Pretty dear, pretty dear," which it con- 

 tinuously utters throughout the breeding season. It probably has two 

 broods during the year, nesting from March till August. Building a flimsy 

 domed nest of grass and leaves, which is always placed on the ground, and 

 generally well concealed amongst the fallen leaves. And lays three white 

 eggs thickly speckled with brown, and measure -82" by -62". 



Pelloknetjm paltjstke, Jerdon. 



The Marsh Babbler. 



Pellorneum palustre, Jerdon, Ibis, 1872, p. 300 ; Sharpe, Cat., B. M., vii., 

 p. 522 ; Gates, F. B. I., i., p. 143; Baker, J. B. N. H. S., viii., p. 186. 



Description. — As in the Fauna of India, Gates. 



Habits. — "A rare bird here, and unlike the other members of the genus, 

 never found to my knowledge outside grass land. I have never noticed 

 near swamps or marshy land as its name would seem to infer it should be 

 found." 



Nesting. — "The nest and eggs are indistinguishable from those of 

 P. rvficeps or mandelli, but are smaller, averaging about "87" by '64"." 

 (Baker, Birds, N. Cachar.) 



Pbllorneum ignotum ignotum, Hume, 

 The Assam Babbler. 



Pellorneuvi ignotuvi, Hume, S. F., v., p. 334 (1877), 



Drymocataplius ignotus, Sharpe, Oat., B. M. vii., p. 556. 



Pellorneum ignotum, Gates, F. B. I., i., p. 144 ; Baker, J. B. N. H. S., viii., 

 p. 186. 



" Whole upper plumage rufescent olive-brown, exposed part of the wings 

 and tail rufescent, the shafts of the feathers nowhere markedly paler ; and 

 the forehead not differing from the crown ; lores and over the eye greyish- 

 brown ; ear-coverts brown with paler shafts ; sides of the neck like the back ; 

 chin, throat, centre of the breast and abdomen dull white, very slightly 

 mottled with greyish, remainder of lower plumage olive-brown tinged with 

 rufous." 



"Iris dark brown; legs and feet light sienna-grey." (Gates.) 



Wing: average of 5 specimens, 57 mm.; culmen, 13 mm.; tarsus, 24 mm. 



Distribution. — Assam and Naga Hills. 



Nest. — A deep cup, sometimes domed, never actually on the ground and 

 more compactly built, and from 2 to 4 feet off the ground, 2, 3 and 4 eggs laid. 

 Eggs pale pink freckled with dark brownish-red. Measure '72" to '90" by "57 

 to '62". Very shy and retiring, 



Pellorneum ignotum cinnamomeum, Eippon, 

 Jtip-pon^s Babbler. 



Drymocata'phtis cinnamomeum, Rippon, Bull., B. G. C, xi,, p. 12 (1900); 

 Harington, J. B. N, H, S., xxi, p. 115 ; ibid, Ibis, 1914, p. 11. 



Description. — Upper plumage olive-brown, not rufescent ; lores and round 

 the eye ashy-grey ; chin and throat .whitish, with arrow like dark grey ends 

 to the feathers ; sides of the neck like the back ; breast bright rufous ; whitish 

 on the abdomen ; flanks olive-brown tinged with rufous. 



Note. — The only specimen from Mt. Victoria is rather paler rufous on the 

 breast, and throat not so conspicuously spotted, 

 7 



