nd throat and the median portion of the breast and abdomen are
white with faint grey stripes. Scimitar-babblers have habits similar
to those of laughing-thrushes. They go about in pairs, seeking for
insects among fallen leaves. The call is a loud whistle.

Very different in habits and appearance from any of the babblers
mentioned above is the famous Himalayan whistling-thrush
(_Myiophoneous temmincki_). To see this bird it is necessary to repair
to some mountain stream. It is always in evidence in the neighbourhood
of the dhobi's ghat at Naini Tal, and is particularly abundant on
the banks of the Kosi river round about Khairna. At first sight the
Himalayan whistling-thrush looks very like a cock blackbird. His
yellow bill adds to the similitude. It is only when he is seen with
the sun shining upon him that the cobalt blue patches in his plumage
are noticed. His habit is to perch on the boulders which are washed
by the foaming waters of a mountain torrent. On these he finds plenty
of insects and snails, which constitute the chief items on his menu.
He pursues the elusive insect in much the same way as a wagtail does,
calling his wings to his assistance when chasing a particularly nimble
creature. He has the habit of frequently expanding his tail. This
species utters a loud and pleasant call, also a shrill cry like that
of the spotted forktail. All torrent-haunting birds are in the habit
of uttering such a note; indeed it is no easy task to distinguish
between the alarm notes of the various species that frequent mountain
streams.

Of very different habits is the black-headed sibia (_Lioptila
capistrata_). This species is strictly arboreal. As mentioned
previously, it is often found in company with flocks of tits and other
gregarious birds. It feeds on insects, which it picks off the leaves
of trees. Its usual call is a harsh twitter. It is a reddish brown
bird, rather larger than a bulbul, with a black-crested head. There
is a white bar on the wing.

The Indian white-eye (_Zosterops palbebrosa_) is not at all like any
of the babblers hitherto described. In size, appearance, and habits,
it approximates closely to the tits, with which it often consorts.
Indeed, Jerdon calls the bird the white-eyed tit. It occurs in all
well-wooded parts of the country, both in the plains and the hills.
No bird is easier to identify. The upper parts are greenish yellow,
and the lower bright yellow, while round the eye runs a broad
conspi