130 Lieut. Wardlaw Ramsay^s Synopsis 
should more correetly be placed in the genus Pomatostomus 
(Cabanis^ Mus. Hein. i. p. 83)^ viz. P. isidori, Less. Voy. 
Coq. Zool. p. 680, pL 29. 
The members of this genus are mostly birds which fre¬ 
quent mountainous countries at moderate elevations. Their 
food seems to consist entirely of insects, and is usually col¬ 
lected by turning over dead leaves on the ground. They are 
gregarious in their habits, generally being found in small par¬ 
ties, or in pairs, making their way through thick bush-jungle, 
or hopping about on the ground below. Sometimes a con¬ 
siderable number are found creeping about in the same bush, 
and all chattering loudly. Mr. R. Swinhoe says, in writing 
of P. musicus (Ibis, 1863, p. 284), There is not much music 
in its ordinary call-note ; but when two or three are met 
together, and vie with one another in their strains, the effect 
is pleasing, though not to be compared to that of the Hwa-mei 
(Garrulaoc taivanus) . When at rest in the middle of the day, 
hidden in some sombre hill-side wood, they keep on uttering 
at intervals a series of very liquid notes in regular cadence. 
These have an indescribably hollow and unnatural sound, and 
at first puzzle the listener to know whether they are produced 
by beast, bird, or insect.^'’ MM. David and Oustalet say, ^ Ois. 
de la Chine,^ p. 184, C^est un oiseau (P. gravivox) tres-ruse 
et tres-difficile a decouvrir. II prend toujours a la meme 
heure son bain quotidien et fait entendre, a la tombee de la 
nuit, son chant sonore et pen varie, mais remarquable par 
son etrangete,’'' and, on the authority of the Chinese,' dans 
certains districts on garde cet oiseau dans les maisons, on il 
detruit les insectes parasites, et particulierement les pimaises 
this statement, however, has not been confirmed by Pere 
David^s observation. 
All the members of this genus are subject to considerable 
variations, both in dimensions and in plumage; but there is 
no tangible difference in plumage between the sexes. 
For notes on the nidification of some species of Pomato- 
rhinus, I refer the reader to Jerdon, ^B. of India,^ p. 32, 
Swinhoe, ^ Ibis,^ 1863, p. 284, and Hume, ^ Nests and Eggs of 
Indian Birds,^pp. 250 and 251. 
