32. 
C I N E R E I P R 0 N S 
GARRULAX 
(THE ASHY HEADED BABBLER) 
ADULT MALE AND FEMALE 
Length 3.6 to 10 Inches; wing 4.4 to 4.8; tall 4 to 4.3; tarsus 1.4 to 
1.5; middle toe and claw 1.25 to 1.3; hind toe .6, Its claw (straight) .45; 
bill to gape 1.25. 
DISTRIBUTION 
The Ashy Headed Babbler was discovered by Dr Kelaart; it Is not recorded 
in what district he first found it, for Layard only writes of It as follows, 
*1 do not know where he (Kelaart) found it, but I obtained several specimens 
along the bank of the Kalu Ganga, about forty miles Inland from Kalutara, 
and once at Padlabaddoola In the Peak range*. 
I infer, however, that the boctor first made Its acquaintance in tne Cen¬ 
tral Province, in the damper forests of the Western portion of which it is 
found. I have seen it in the Deltota district and in the Peak forests, and 
I have no doubt it occurs in Dumbara, and many places between Kandy and the 
Peak range; but being an inhabitant of humid, inaccessible jungles, it is 
less often met with than any of its family. I have-not seen it above 3500 
feet, but Kelaart speaks of it as being found at Newera Ellla* but whether 
it has erroneously found a place in his list of birds from that place I do 
not know; suffice it to say that no one else, that I am aware of, has heard 
of It from so high an elevation, although there is no reason why it spauld m 
not be found there as well as the Rufous Ba bier, (Malacocercus Rufescens), 
It inhabits the forests of the Southern ranges, and all the heavy jungles 
from the Kukkul Koral-. to the Kalu Ganga. i have procured it in the Singna 
Rajah forests, in the Pasdun Korale, and also in the Ikkade- Barawe forest, 
which is only eighteen miles from•Colombo;- there are likewise specimens in 
the British'Museum collected by Mr Chapman at a place called Dasiwella which 
I :>elleye is In the Western Province. * . 
1 t does Dot appear to Inhabit the jungles of the South-eastern portions, 
nor the Eastern and Northern divisions of the island; the Korunegala dist¬ 
rict, as far as is known at this time, forms its Northern boundary, and theie 
fore its distribution is one of the most restricted of any of the peculiar 
Ceylonese species. 
HABITS 
This Laughing thrush has a similar disposition to the wynaad species, 
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