timaunjE. 31 



404. Pomatorfoinus Horsfieldii, Sykes. 



Cat. 73— Jeedon, Cat. 89— Blyth, Cat. 831 — Hoesf., Cat. 

 347 — Namala-pitta, or Dasari-pitta, Tel. 



The Southeen Scimitae-babblee. 



Descr. — Above deep olive-brown ; a- white superciliary stripe ; 

 neck in front, breast, and middle of abdomen, white ; the flanks, 

 vent, and under tail-coverts olive-brown. 



Bill yellow, dusky, above ; legs dusky green ; irides dark-red. 

 Length 9^ inches ; wing 3 t 8 q ; tail 4 ; bill at front ly 1 ^ ; 

 tarsus ly^. 



This is the only species of Pomatorhinus we possess in the south 

 of India, or indeed in any part of India except the Himalayas. It 

 is found in all the forests and hill ranges of Southern India, espe- 

 cially in the more elevated districts such as Wynaad, Coorg, and 

 the Neilgherries, up to above 6,000 feet ; also in the Eastern Ghats, 

 Goomsoor, &c. ; and in the heavy jungles of Central India. It 

 frequents tangled under-wood, in forests, especially in swampy 

 places, and bamboo jungles ; and it makes its way through the 

 most dense and tangled bushes with great facility. It is very shy 

 and wary, and speedily evades observation. It is usually in 

 pairs, the male calling out, as well expressed by Col. Sykes, 

 hoot, hoot, hoot, while the females answer hooee. Occasion- 

 ally it is met in parties, keeping up a continual chattering 



call. 



It feeds entirely on insects. I procured its nest near Nediwuttum 



on the Neilgherries, on a bank on the road side, made with moss 



and roots, and containing four white eggs of a very elongated form. 



A nearly allied species, P. melanurus, Bl., occurs in Ceylon ; and 



this, with the two last species, and P. montanus, Horsf., from Java, 



may be considered representative species. 



405. Pomatorhinus erythrogenys, Gould. 



P. Z. S., 1831— Gould, Cent. H. B., pi. 55— Blyth, Cat. 

 827 — Hoesf., Cat. 345 — P. ferrugilatus, Hodgs. — Ban-bukra, at 

 Mussooree — Yongohut-pho, Lepch. 



