240 BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



colour, but with the ground markings consisting of blotches and 

 streaks of bright blood- and brick-red boldly defined, and having an 

 occasional underlying cloud of pale inky-purple. Sometimes the 

 ground colour is nearly wbite ; between these extremes every 

 possible combination occurs. 



It may have been a mere coincidence, but all the eggs I took 

 in Sind (and I took a great number) were of the first mentioned 

 type. 



The eggs are broad oval in shape, and average 73 inches in 

 length by about 0'59 in breadth. They have a high gloss. 



3S6fer.— THE GREY-THROATED BABBLER. 



Pyctoris griseogularis, Hume. 



The Grey-throated Babbler is said to be a permanent resident in 

 Sind, but I am not aware of the nest having been taken. 



389.— THE NILGIRI QUAKER THRUSH, 

 Alcippe poiocephala Jerd. 



Mr. Davidson, who has afforded me much valuable assistance in 

 compiling this paper, has furnished me with this and the following 

 note : — 



" This bird is very common at Matheran, and all through the 

 Ghats, from the south of Kanara to the extreme north, where they 

 end in Khandesh. It builds a neat nest, somewhat of the bulbul 

 type, and generally conceals it among some thick branches, a 

 favourite place being among some climbiug plant which has twisted 

 itself among the branches of a thick tree. The nest is generally 

 about ten to fifteen feet from the ground, but is sometimes within 

 reach. The eggs, three in number, are very beautiful." 



In shape they are moderately broad ovals, somewhat compressed 

 at one end, and have a fine and rather glossy shell. The ground 

 colour is a delicate pink. There are a few pretty large and con- 

 spicuous spots and hair lines of deep brownish-red, almost black, and 

 there are a few large pinkish-brown smears and clouds, generally 

 lying around or about the dark spots ; and theu towards the large end, 

 there are several small clouds and patches of faint inky purple 

 which appear to underlie the other markings. — (Nests and Eggs of 

 Indian Birds, r>. 241.) As is usually the case with highly- coloured 

 eggs, they subject to much variation in colour and markings 



