MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 513 



leaves (chiefly bamboo), with a lining of black rhizomorph, and, lastly, inside 

 the latter, a second lining of bits of soft dry bamboo leaf. 



The egg3, 3 in number, were nearly fresh. They have little or no gloss. 

 The ground colour is pale claret and tl^ey are spotted, speckled, and streaked, 

 chiefly at the large end, with darker claret markings. 



The mean of the measurements of 3 eggs gives *63" x "47" 



447. Horornis brunescens. — This species is found in theMaling bamboo forests 

 which clothe the hill sides on the Singalila range of hills from 9 to 11,000 feet. 

 It replaces H. fortipes at these higher elevations, the latter species being common 

 from 5,000 to 8,000 feet. The note of this bird is without exception the most 

 striking and peculiar of any I have yet come across. It consists of a series of 

 four long-drawn whistles, each lasting several seconds and each being in turn 

 considerably higher in the scale than the one which preceded it. This is fol- 

 lowed by a quickly repeated series of up and down notes resembling the call of 

 Orcocorys sylvanus (a bird not found in these hills). I did not find the nest of 

 this bird, but 3 eggs were brought me by an intelligent Lepcha in my employ 

 whom I had sent up to Mt.. Tonghe in search of nests of Ianthccincla ocellata. 

 He brought me these eggs as being those of H. fortipes, which they evi- 

 dently are not, firstly from the colour being quite different from that of the 

 eggs of this bird and secondly because H. fortipes is not found in the bamboo 

 forests at 9,500 feet where he obtained the eggs in question, whereas 

 H. brunescens is fairly common there. 



The eggs are rather broad ovals with a slight gloss, of a rather dark chestnut 

 colour with a darker ring of markings near the large end. 



The average of the measurements of 3 eggs gives '68" X '50". 



I hope to be able to confirm this find next yeai', which of course is rather 

 inconclusive at present. 



559. Hemichelidonferruginea. — This is the common flycatcher between 6 and 

 8,000 feet, frequenting open glades in lofty oak forest. I found 3 nests in June 

 and July at about 7,000 feet. Two were almost inaccessible, built on slight 

 projections caused by broken branches near the top of big dead trees, 40 or 50 

 feet from the ground. The third was on the side of a branch of a small tree 

 (^Turpinia pomifera) about 10 feet from the ground. 



The nest is composed of moss lined with a mixture of white lichen and black 

 rhizomorph. The egg cavity measures 2" across by 14/' in depth. 



It contained 2 fresh eggs (the other nests contained 3 young ones in each); the 

 egg3 are in shape broad ovals with slight gloss. The ground colour, where 

 visible, is pale-green, which, however, is obscured by a uniform freckling of pale 

 pinkish-brown markings which form a cap at the larger end. 



The eggs measure - 75" x '57" and '70" X "56'' respectively. 



887. jffi'.hopyga ignicauda. — This beautiful sun bird affects higher altitudes 

 than any other species with which I am acquainted. It is found in summer in 

 the forests of silver fir and rhodolendron between 10 and 12,000 feet, descend- 

 ing in winter to 6,000 feet or even lower. (I observed this species also at 11,000 



