NOTES ON INDIAN TIMELIIDES AND THEIR ALLIES. 631 



Description — "Adult male. Resembles S. sinensis, Grant; {S,r. davidi, 

 Oustalet) in having the light chestnut on the head confined to the crown 

 and not extending over the nape, but may be easily recognised by its much 

 larger and more massive bill. It differs in having faint black shaft-streaks 

 to the feathers of the forehead, the throat less yellow, much the same 

 colour as the breast, which is a dull greyish-olive, and the sides of the 

 head and neck grey instead of yellowish." (Harington). 



" Total length, about 4-6 inches ; exposed part of the culmen, 0-5 ; wing, 

 2-1 ; tail, 2-2 ; tarsus, 0-8." 



"Adult female. Similar to the male. Wing, 52-55. mm. 



Distribution.— The Bhamo hill tracts, and Southern Shan States. The 

 nesting has been described by me in the Journal. The eggs are a pure 

 white with a few pale red spots and average "65 x '52 inches. 



Stachyrhidopsis RUFiFROisrs RTjpiFRONS, Hume. 



Himies^ Babbler. 



Stachyrhidopsis rufifrons, Hume, Str. Frs., iii., p. 479 (1873) ;iSharpe, Cat., 

 B. M., vii., p. 599 ; Gates, F. B. I., i., p. 165. 



" Closely allied to S. ruflceps, but smaller, wing 1'9", bill at front •05", 

 tarsus 0'67". The rufous of the head duller, and not extending 

 to the occiput. Upper surface wanting the strong greenish-olive tinge, 

 and the lower surface wanting the oil yellow tinge of ruficeps.'''' (Hume.) » 



Note. — The type is in the British Museum, it is an immature and badly 

 damaged specimen, fortunately Mr. J. P. Cook collected three birds in the 

 Pegu Yomas, the locality from which the type was procured, these are now 

 in the Tring Museum, and from which I have taken the following descrip- 

 tion. 



Lores, white with black tips to the feathers ; crown, dull rufous, which is 

 confined to the crown ; the feathers have faint indications of black shaft- 

 stripes ; chin and throat, white with black shaft-stripes ; whitish on the 

 breast ; flanks and abdomen, a rich tawny buff; upper plumage greyish olive. 



Wing : 49, 50, 50 mms. 



Stachyrhidopsis rupifron-s ambigua, sub-sp. nov. 



Similar to 8. r. rufifrons, Himie, from Pegu, differs in having the lores 

 yellow instead of white ; in having the feathers of the forehead conspicu- 

 ously black shafted ; chin, whitish and not contrasting with the remainder 

 of the lower plumage ; breast and under parts, pale fulvous and not a rich 

 tawny buff. 



Bill, light fleshy ; irides, light brown ; legs, fleshy. Wing : males, 53-54 mm., 

 females, 51-52 mm. 



Type in the Tring Museum. Coll. E. C. S. Baker, Gunjong, N. Cachar, 

 26th Dec. 1895. 



Distribution. — Probably Sikhim, Butan Duars, Assam, Naga Hills and 

 Manipur. Birds from Margherita, N. Assam, appear to be slightly smaller 

 than N. Cachar specimens. 



Stachyrhidopsis poliogaster, Hume, 1880. 



Stachyrhis poliogaster, Hume, S. F., ix., p. 116 (1880). 

 Stachyrhidopsis poliogaster. Sharp Cat., B.M., vii., p. 599. 

 Stachyrhis poliogaster, Gates, F. B. I, i., p. 161. 



Habitat. — "Gunong Pulai, near southern -west extremity of the Malay Peninsula." 

 There is only one specimen known, the type, which is labelled " Cyanoderma 

 poliogaster.^'' To me this appears to be a young bird of the S. nofifrons, Hume 

 type, and may possibly be that species, of which there are very few good speci- 

 mens. 



