Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 1).djvu/225

 BABAX. 187 berries, which grew in dense matted profusion everywhere. In bamboo-jungle they were easier to watrh, and 1 often saw them hopping about feeding among the fallen leaves, but any movement drove them off at once and they took to wing and flew better than most of their nearest relations. Genus BABAX David, 1876. The Babblers of this genus form a connecting-link between TrocJialopterum and the genera already dealt with and Argy.'i, and Turdoides, being on the whole nearer the latter than the former group. The wing is short and rounded, the tail long and much graduated. The bill is rather slender, slightly curved, and in lengtii about equal to, or longer than, hind toe and claw to- gether. The rictal bristles are strong and of considerable length, and the oval, exposed nostrils are overhung by numerous hairs. There are several species of this genus found on the borders of the Indian Empire, of which three enter our limits, whilst others may possibly be found to do so in extreme jVorthern Burma when the ornithology of that country is better known. Key to Species and. Subspecies. A. Plumage boldly striped above and below. a. Wing under 110 mm.; plumage rufesceut. [p. 187. a. Throat immaculate bufFy white B. I. lancenlatiis, b'. Throat white with black shafts to the feathers B. I. victories, p. 188. b. Wing over 110 nun.; plumage grey B. ivaddeUi,Y>. 189. B. Plumage rufous above and below, stripes absent or obsolete B. kosloivi, p. 189.


 * Pterurhinus lanceolatus Verr., Nouv. Arch. Mus, Paris, vi, p. .36

Vernacular names. None recorded.

Description. Crown bright rufous-brown with dark centres to the feathers; remainder of upper plumage and wing-coverts darker rufescent brown, each feather broadly edged with pale fulvous grey, white on sides of neck, almost so on nape and darkest on rump; upper tail-coverts grey with obsolete concealed dark centres; tail rufous-brown, duller than crown; lores and forehead fulvous, the latter merging into the crown; ear-coverts striped white and brown; a broad moustacbial streak varying from chestnut to almost black; chin, throat and upper breast