POMATORHINUS MELANTTRUS. 503 



P. schi&tic&ps, from the Himalayas, has the head and nape dark slate-colour, and the upper surface olive-green : 

 the throat and breast are white, and the sides of the fore neck rusty-coloured, with white streaks. 



Distribution. — The Scimitar-Babbler, one of the most interesting Ceylonese species, is widely distributed 

 throughout the central and southern hills, but is by no means a mountain bird, being equally common in the 

 interior of the Western Province, more especially in the bamboo-district of Saffragani and the circumjacent 

 country, and likewise in the south-west hilly region. As regards the Kandyan Province, it is a very abundant 

 bird in the main range up to the highest altitudes, and is one of those comparatively few species met with in 

 the woods on the Horton Plains. The same may be said of all the intermediate coffee-districts and the wooded 

 patnas throughout the Province. It is common in the forests of the south-east and on the Batticaloa side, 

 and is scattered pretty freely throughout all the northern forest-tract, its numbers diminishing along the 

 central road, when the latitude of Kokelai on the east and Manaar on the west is reached. I have obtained 

 it as close to Colombo as the neighbourhood of Borella. 



Habits. — This wood-loving bird frequents shady dark forests, patna-woods (particularly in the vicinity of 

 streams), bamboo-cheenas, low jungle, and almost every variety of thick cover. It usually associates in pairs, 

 but occasionally fraternizes, and goes about in small companies, searching for its insect-food on low branches, 

 or clinging, Woodpecker fashion, to the trunks or large limbs of trees, about which it jumps and twists itself 

 with considerable agility, proceeding easily upwards with active hops. Early in the morning, while searching 

 among thick underwood for its food, it repeatedly gives out its far-sounding, melodious call, which must be 

 familiar to all who have travelled in the Ceylon jungles, although few are acquainted with the owner of the 

 remarkable voice, proceeding, as it usually does, from dense thickets. The note may be likened to the words 

 chock off you poor boy, or wok wok ek ek wok, which is answered by the female with a more hurried scale 

 resembling wok off. While pouring out these voluble notes, the birds are all the time on the move, attentively 

 scrutinizing every dead leaf or rotten stick in their way. Mr. Bligh has observed them in the breeding-season 

 puffing out the feathers of the chest and bowing to each other ; and I have noticed that they were of an inqui- 

 sitive nature, alighting close to me when they have chanced to espy me watching them in the stillness of the 

 forest, and stretching out their heads for a closer inspection of sitch an unexpected intruder ! Mr. Holds- 

 worth remarks that they are very noisy in the pairing-time, and refers to the powerful notes of the male as 

 having acquired for the species the name of " Gamut-bird." 



I subjoin the following note on the habits of this bird, which Mr. Bligh has sent me from Haputale : — 

 " A family reared near my bungalow roost in the thick fir-tree near the bedroom-window. At early dawn I 

 often see them ' getting-up ; ' they hop from out of the thick tree to the open branches of a large oleander, 

 and, like a higher order of beings, commence to dress themselves, preening and ruffling out their feathers all the 

 time, chattering a little, as if of arrangements for the day : the male often repeats something like twoi, twoi, 

 twoi, in various keys, swelling out its beautiful white throat considerably each time. The young ones have a 

 plaintive mew-like call when following the old ones for food, and they often make a great clamour when being 

 fed. I once came upon about ten adults, having been attracted by a great noise they made, and found them 

 in a group on the bole of a large tree felled in the jungle. It was a most comical sight to see these excited 

 birds with throats extended like a pigeon, wings lowered and spread, and tail the same, but often elevated, 

 all advancing to a common centre by a quick jerking hop, then retreating backwards, and bowing their bodies 

 the whole time ; this went on for a few minutes until I disturbed them ; it was a veritable Pomatorhinus- 

 quadrille ! " 



Nidification.— -This Babbler breeds from December until February. I have observed one collecting materials 

 for a nest in the former month, and at the same period Mr. MacVicar had the eggs brought to him ; they 

 were taken from a nest made of leaves and grass, and placed on a bank in jungle. Mr. Bligh has found the 

 nest in crevices in trees, between a projecting piece of bark and the trunk, also in a jungle path-cutting and 

 on a ledge of rock ; it is usually composed of moss, grass-roots, fibre, and a few dead leaves, and the 

 structure is rather a slovenly one. The eggs vary from three to five, and are pure white, the shell thin and 

 transparent, and they measure 0'96 to 0-98 inch in length by 07 in breadth. 



