Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 1).djvu/216

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TIMALIIDÆ.

abdomen rufous; sides, thighs and under tail-coverts olivaceous brown, under wing-coverts rufous.

Colours of soft parts. Bill horny black; legs, feet and claws light brown or slaty-brown; iris crimson.

Measurements. Length about 215 to 230 mm.; wing 80 to 83 mm.; tail about 90 mm.; tarsus about 32 mm.; culmen about 18 mm.

Distribution. The Coorg and Wynaad Hills above 4,000 feet. Mr. Morgan gives the Pálghát Hills and the Chinna Coonoor Ghat as a part of its range, but these have not been confirmed.

Nidification. Not recorded.

Habits. Similar to those of T. c. cachinnans.

(168) Trochalopterum jerdoni fairbanki.

The Travancore Laughing-Thrush.

Trochalopterum fairbanki Blanf. J. A. S. B., xxxvii, 2, p. 175 (1868) (Palni Hills); Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 99.

Vernacular names. None recorded.

Description. Differs from the Banasore Laughing-Thrush in having the forehead, crown and nape black or nearly so; the chin and cheeks ashy-grey instead of black and the lower parts a much brighter rufous.

Colours of soft parts. Iris dark red or red-brown (Fairbank).

Measurements. Length about 225 to 230 mm.; wing about 87 to 90 mm.; tail about 92 to 95 mm.; tarsus about 32 mm.; culmen about 20 mm.

Distribution. The Palni and Annamulli Hills in S. Travancore.

Nidification. Fairbank took the nest of this bird at Kodaikanal in the Palni Hills in May, and I have received three clutches from the collection of the late Rev. Howard Campbell as cachinnans, taken at the same place and evidently those of fairbanki. They were taken in February, April and May, and are indistinguishable from those of the former Laughing-Thrush. They measure about 25·8 × 19·3 mm.

Habits. Similar to those of cachinnans. This Laughing-Thrush is found from 3,000 up to 7,000 feet or rather higher.

(169) Trochalopterum jerdoni meridionale.

Blanford's Laughing-Thrush.

Trochalopteron meridionale Blanf., Hume, S. F., vii, p. 36 (1878) (Travancore); Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 100.

Vernacular names. None recorded.

Description. Differs from the Banasore Laughing-Thrush in having a much shorter white supercilium with no black lines