THE SPOTTED TREE-BABBLER. 
49 
50. STACHYRHIS GUTTATA. 
THE SPOTTED TREE-BABBLER. 
Turdinus guttatus (T/c/v.); Bl. J. A. 8. B. xxviii. p. 414 | Tioh. J. A. S. B, xxviii. 
p. 450 ; Bl. B. Bunn. p. 116 ; Walden, Ibis, 1876, p. 353 ; Hume Sf Dav. 
F.yi. p. 264 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 95 ; Bingham, S. F. ix. p. 179. Stachyrhis 
guttatus, Oates, S. F. v. p. 251. 
Description. — Alale and female. Lores and foreliead mixed white and 
blacky the shaft and a portion of the web on either side being of the latter 
colour; a line beginning at the anterior corner of the eye^ passing over the 
ear-coverts^ thence widening so as to occupy the whole side of the neck and 
spreading to the back of the neck blacky each feather having an elongated 
oval white spot in the middle ; the black portions of these feathers^ as they 
recede from the head^ turning to ferruginous ; crown of head and nape 
umber-brown tinged with golden^ which imparts a gloss to the feathers ; 
cheeks white ; ear-coverts brown^ bordered below hj a white line connected 
with the cheeks ; moustache black ; chin and throat white ; a patch under- 
the ear-coverts_, the breast and whole lower plumage ruddy ferruginous_, 
paling on the centre of the abdomen, the feathers of the breast margined 
narrowly with white_, and the shafts of the other parts albescent ; back and 
scapulars umber-brown wdtli a rufous tinge ; rump and tail reddish brown; 
wings brown^ the outer webs coloured like the tail ; tertiaries wholly like 
the tail ; underside of tail dull brown ; a few of the feathers of the upper 
back tipped wdth a minute spot of white. 
Legs and feet pale dingy green ; low^er mandible and edge of upper 
mandible along commissure plumbeous ; rest of bill black ; irides crimson- 
lake. (Davison.) 
Length 6*5 inches, tail 2'2, wing 2*7, tarsus 1, bill from gape '9. The 
female is about the same size. 
The Spotted Tree-Babbler was first discovered by Col. Tickell on Moo- 
leyit mountain, in Tenasserim. Mr. Davison met with it again at Meetan 
on the same mountain. My men procured a specimen at Malewoon, at 
the extreme south of that Division ; and Capt. Bingham states that it occurs 
sparingly on the Dawna range and other parts of the western watershed of 
the Thoungyeen river. It appears to be everywhere a rather rare species. 
Mr. Davison says : — ^' I have only met with this species on the low hills 
about and just to the north of Meetan, and even there they are not 
common. Unlike the two other species \_GypsophUa crispifrons and 
Turdinus brevicaudatus~\, it does not affect rocky grounds, but the forests 
in general, and even where these are comparatively open, or composed to a 
great extent of bamboo, it may be found. It goes about in small parties, 
and keeps much to the undergrowth, but I have never seen it on the 
ground.^^ 
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