timalin.se. 27 



Gen. Pellorneum, Swainson. 



Syn. Cinclidia, Gould — Hemipteron, Hodgs. 



Char. — Bill moderate, straight, compressed, very gently curving 

 throughout, slightly hooked at the tip, and notched ; rictal bristles 

 feeble; wings much rounded, 5th, 6th, and 7th quills nearly equal ; 

 tail moderate, rounded ; tarsus moderate ; feet large ; middle toe 

 lengthened ; laterals barely unequal ; hind toe long ; claws tolerably 

 curved. 



399. Pellorneum ruficeps, Swainson. 



Bltth, Cat. 823 — Horsf., Cat. 323 — Megalurus ruficeps, 

 Sykes, Cat. 87 — Motac. dumeticola, Tickell — Cinclidia punctata, 

 Gould — P. olivaceum, Jerdon, Cat. 86 — Adavi liku-jittu, Tel. 



The Spotted Wren-babbler. 



Descr. — Above olive-brown ; crown and nape deep rusty color- 

 ed, with a more or less marked white eye-brow from the forehead 

 to the nape ; ears dusky-white, or mixed brown and white, or en- 

 tirely brown ; beneath, white or fulvous white, with spots of dark 

 olive on the sides of the breast and belly, olivaceous on the flanks 

 and under tail-coverts. 



Bill horny above, yellowish fleshy beneath ; legs fleshy yellow ; 

 irides brick-red. Length 7 inches ; extent 9 ; wing 3 ; tail 3 ; bill 

 at front y 9 ^ ; tarsus, 1—. 



This bird has a wide geographical distribution, only inferior, in 

 this family, to that of Tim. pileata. It is found throughout South- 

 ern India, both on the east and west coasts ; in Central India ; in 

 the South East Himalayas ; the Khasia hills ; and through Burmah 

 to Tenasserim. It associates in small flocks, frequenting underwood 

 and thickets in forest jungle, often descending to the ground, where 

 it hops about in search of various insects, or climbing up the small 

 branches of shrubs ; it keeps up a continual chattering, and, occa- 

 sionally, one of them, perched on a bough, elevaiing his head and 

 neck, gives utterance to a sort of crowing laugh, not unlike 

 that of Trochalopteron cachimians. Col. Svkes's observation that it 

 frequents the plains like a Lark, must have arisen from some 

 mistaken identity. 



