Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 1).djvu/228

 190 TIMALllDiE. they seldom show themselves. Their food is chiefly, perhaps wholly, insectivorous, and their call is said to consist of two harsh notes, rapidly repeated. Genus TURDOIDES Cretzschmar, 1826. This genus contains the well-known Bahblers called " The Seven Sisters " over so great a part of India. Unfortunately we cannot em|)loy either Crateropiis or Malacocercus as a name for the genus, and it must now be known as Turdoides. It differs from the True Laughing-Thrushes of the preceding genera in having the covering membrane of the nostrils more or less covered by plumes, though they have no overhanging hairs. The rictal bristles are short and stout and the feathers of the forehead short, firm and close. The tail is about the same in length as the wing and well graduated, the outermost pair being about two-thirds the length of the central feathers. The wing is sliort and rounded, the third or fourth primary being the longest. There are two species which call for remark iu this genus, Turdoides rufescens and Turdoides cinereifrons. The former, the Ceylon Babbler, is supposed to differ in having the feathers of the forehead bare at the tips and spinous; it has accordingly been generically separated A'ith Argya subrufa as Layardia. The differ- ence seems to me very minute, sometimes hardly visible, and does not constitute sufficient cause for removal to another genus. The other characteristic, referred to by Harington, is the more slender, wholly black bill, but the difference between this and the shorter yellow bill of others is bridged over by the intermediate yellow and black bill of Argya subriffa. The second bird, the Ashy-headed Babbler, differs only from tvpical Turdoides in having a longer bill, coloured black instead of pale yellow or white as in the other species. There does not appear to be any other difference, and though when first seen the bird appears to be nearer Gamdax or Dryonastes than Ikirdoides, I can see no sufficient reason for instituting a new genus for it. Its habits and nidification may assist when these are known. Key to Species and iSubspecies. A. Throat ashy, mottled with pale brown; breast ashy-fulvous. a. Upper plumage paler with very in- distinct shaft-streaks T. terricolor terricolor, p. 191. b. Upper plumage darker and browner with distinct shaft-streaks T. t, malaharicus, p. 192. c. Paler and more grey everywhere, with shaft-streaks obsolete T, t, sindianus, p. 193. B. Throat and breast dark brown or black with ashy margins. d. Tail ashy and brown; primaries edged paler.