253. Pellorneum tiekelli assamensis

(253) Pellorneum tickelli assamensis (Sharpe).
THE ASSAM STRIPE-FRONTED BABBLER.
Pellorneum tickelli assamensis, Fauna B. I., Birds, 2nd ed. vol. i, p. 248.
The area occupied by this bird is much smaller than that of the Burmese form. It is very common in the Lakhimpur district of Assam both North, South and East of the Brahmapootra Valley. It certainly occurs in the Patkoi-Naga Range, and spreads West into the hills North of Tezpur and South of Sibsagar but, beyond this very restricted area, we do not know what its range is either East or West.
In its breeding it differs in no way from the preceding bird except that is found well out into the plains as well as in the hills, which to the East of Margherita run between 5,000 and 7,000 feet. Both Dr. Coltart and I found several nests in the broken country round the Tea-gardens covered with high scrub and also sometimes in open bamboo-jungle.
Coltart was the first collector to find its nest. In this instance it was built in scrub-jungle and the nest, not having been kept, I can only describe from memory. In shape it was a very deep cup, the depth considerably exceeding the width, and it was made entirely of fine grass-stems, quite well put together, so that the nest was compact enough for us to handle freely when examining it. It was placed low down in one of the thick bushes, about six inches to a foot from the ground.
Most of the nests we found later were placed either on the ground or within a few inches of it, a few only in bushes a foot or so above it, but otherwise as above described.
The eggs are like those of the Burmese subspecies but average a good deal paler, and many are rather longer in shape. The pale olive type, which is quite exceptional among the eggs of P. t. tickelli, are decidedly more numerous among the eggs of this bird.
Three eggs are laid more often than four.
Sixty eggs average 19.9 x 15.7 mm. : maxima 21.6 x 16.2 and 20.5 x 16.8 mm. ; minima 18.1 x 14.8 mm.
It is an early breeder and most birds lay in April, whilst Dr. Coltart took one nest with four eggs on the 26th March. On the other hand a good many birds lay in May, and we have taken odd nests during the first week of June.