448 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL MIST. SOCIJETY, Vol. XXIII. 



the specimens in the British Museum, and the only ones of this species from 

 Burma are those collected by Col. Rippon on Mt. Victoria ; all those said to 

 be from other localities in Burma are the next sub-species A. fratercula. 



Habits. — I can find nothing definite about its habits. Gates says it feeds 

 on the ground, but from the habits of its near relatives from Burma and 

 China, I think this must be wrong. It builds a cup-shaped nest of grass 

 and bamboo leaves and places it in a bush close to the ground. The 

 eggs are very variable. Mr. Stuart Baker gives six distinct varieties. 



( 1 ) Pare white with minute speckles of purply-pink. 



(2) The same with a pinkish ground, but large markings. 



(3) The same as the last with pale pink markings. 



(4) Ground colour pale to deep salmon, and more or less covered 



with blotches and clouds of pink, approaching the eggs of 

 Pyctorhis sinensis. 



( 5 ) Gound colour pale pink to white, with spots of deep purple. 



( 6 ) In a few eggs the markings consist of almost entirely hair- 



like lines intertwined with one another. 

 Measuring: -61" to -78" by -48" to -67". 



Alcippe nepalensis ekateecula, Rippon. 

 Rip^porCs Alcippe or The Shan State Babbler. 

 * Alcippe fratercula, Rippon, Bull., B.O.C., xi., p. II., Ibis, I90I, p. 530. 



* Alcippe eratekcula yunnanensis, Harington. 

 Tlie Yunnan Alcip'ge. 



Harington, Bull., B.O.C, xxsiii., p. 63. ( 1913 ), 



Similar to A. fratercula, Rippon, but larger ; the head and neck of a much paler 

 grey, the stripes on the head and neck being less distinct or wanting in some speci- 

 mens ; the underparfcs also are paler and of a more yellowish tinge ; bill smaller. 



Adult, — A ring of white feathers round the eye, head and neck pale ashy-grey ; 

 indications of two blackish stripes, one on each side of the nape and none on the 

 head ; la some specimens these are obsolete or wanting ; ear- coverts of the same 

 colour as the head ; back pale olive brown ; underparts pale ochraceous, tinged 

 with olivaceous on the flanks. 



"Iris crimson, upper mandible dark hom-colour, lower mandible like the feet 

 legs and feet livid horn-colour." (Rippon.) 



Culmen, 10 mm. ; wing, 69. 



In A. fratercula, culmen, 11 mm. ; wing, 62 to 66. 

 Z?a6itai.— Mountains of Yunnan, from 8,00010,000 ft. 



Observation. — There are several examples in the British Museum from the above 

 locality collected by Col. G. Ripnon. 



Type in the British Museum :' Adult. Gyi-dzin-shan, east of Talifu, 8,900 ft., 2. 

 iv.02. G. Rippon coll. (Harington.) 



Alcippe nepalensis hueti, David. 



David's Alcippe. 



David, Ann. Sci, Nat. (5). xix., Art. 9, 1874 ; Styan, Ibis, 1896, p. 809 ; La 

 Touche, Ibis, 1899, p. 185 ; La Touche, Ibis, 1905, p. 29. 



Description. — A ring of white feathers round the eye ; head and neck a decided 

 grey ; the stripes on head and neck very faint or wanting ; chin and throat grey ; 

 upper plumage olive-brown ; iianks and under tail-coverts sandy buff. 



Average wing measurement of 4 males, 65 mm. or 2"55", max., 69 mm. or 2'7", 

 min., 63 mm. or "I'il". Bill 11 mm. or .45. 



Habitat. — Fokien Province, China. 



Nesting and Habits, — It seems to be only found in the mountains of China, where 

 it haunts low-trees and bushes going about in flocks. It builds a cradle-like 

 nest slung from twigs at no great height from the ground, and lays eggs, having a 

 pinkish ground colour, covered with darker smudges and smears, with purplish 

 spots and streaks, in fact very much of the same description as A. phayrei or 

 phcBocephala. 



