ABBOTT'S THRUSH-BABBLER. 
59 
upper tail-coverts and tail uniform_, rather bright^ ferruginous ; quills dark 
brown on the inner webs, olive-brown on the outer ; the greater coverts 
the same; the lesser ones olive-brown, centred darker; throat, cheeks and 
upper breast pale grey ; ear-coverts, sides of the neck, lower breast and 
sides of the body earthy ferruginous ; the abdomen paler, slightly albescent ; 
under tail-coverts deep ferruginous ; under wing- coverts earthy brown. 
The plumage is liable to much variation, being more ferruginous in some 
than in others ; and the eye-streak is frequently absent. 
Iris reddish brown ; eyelids deep plumbeous ; upper mandible dark 
brown, except the tip and the terminal third of the margins, which, together 
with the lower mandible, are pale bluish ; mouth yellow ; legs and feet 
pinkish fleshy ; claws pale horn-colour. 
Length 6*5 inches, tail 2, wing 2*9, tarsus 1, bill from gape *9. The 
female is rather smaller. 
Abbott's Thrush-Babbler has been procured in the island of Ramree, on 
the Arrakan coast. I have found it abundant all over the southern portion 
of Pegu in suitable localities ; and Capt. Wardlaw Ramsay observed it at 
Tonghoo and at the foot of the Karin hills. In Tenasserim Mr. Davison 
states that it is common from a little north of Moulmein down to the 
extreme southern point of the Division. At this latter place my men 
procured numerous specimens. 
Southwards it appears to extend down to Malacca and Nealys in the 
Malay peninsula, and northwards to the hill-tracts of Eastern Bengal and 
to Nipal. 
This Babbler is only found in the thickest vegetation, evergreen forest 
by preference, and also in pine-apple gardens and thick secondary jungle. 
It keeps to the ground generally, but at times may be seen tolerably high 
up in trees, searching the leaves for insects. It has a very pretty call, 
which it constantly utters. Although not gregarious, numerous birds are 
generally met with in the same patch of jungle. In May and June it 
constructs a cup-shaped nest of dead leaves lined with black fern-roots, 
placing it near the ground in a thick bush or dwarf palm. The eggs, 
three in number, are exceedingly beautiful, being a pale salmon-pink with 
scrawls and marks of deep purple. 
