78 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXV. 



bushes, 3' to 6' high, and made of grass stems and fine twigs, 

 not very tidily put together, as all the ends stick out. The 

 lining is of fine black and brown stems and a few moss roots, 

 (see D. galbanus). In shape, a hollow saucer, about 4|" across 

 and 2" deep externally, and 3" x If internally. Except for 

 the lining, the nest and situation are very similar to those of 

 D. galbanits. Both birds breed fairly high up, at altitudes of 

 3,000' and over. 



In shape and colour, the eggs are very like those of T, 

 vivgatum, and T. lineatum, being a little smaller on the ivhole. 

 The average size of 59 eggs is l'Ol"x '74'', the length varying 

 from -91" to 1-08" and the breadth from -69" to -79". I have one 

 egg which is 1'15" long, which is not included above, as it 

 may possibly belong to a cuckoo. 



22. Hume's Chestnut-headed Laughing-Thrush — Trochalopterum ery- 



throlmma. (83). (7'. erythrocephalu7n erythrolcema). 



Secured 7 nests, containing 12 eggs in 1915, mostly at the end 

 of April. I am not quite certain what to make of this bird's eggs 

 and nests. Hopwood got his first nest on 12th May 1913. 

 " With parent bird, in bamboo scrub on the extreme summit of 

 a hill, at about 6,000' ; the nest was a massive cup of moss lined 

 with roots, and was placed in a small very thick ever green shrub 

 about 4' from the ground."' Subsequently, in 1915, 1 came to the 

 conclusion that the nest was generally placed 4' to 8' from the 

 ground, and is — at times at least easily visible. They are 

 massive deep cups of grass stems and twigs lined with fine twigs, 

 moss roots, and roots fairly loosely put together. Some of the 

 eggs are of a peculiar elongated shape, more or less elliptical ; 

 others are shorter. In my own series, the ground colour was 

 bright blue marked with dark blotches, spots, and streaks varying 

 from dark purplish brown to black in colour, and in size from 

 O'l" in diameter to mere specks. In one or two eggs, the spots 

 are numerous round the large end, in another, there are only 

 about a dozen small specks ; the usual type is intermediate, i.e., 

 a few markings of various sizes scattered over the large end, and 

 only one or two on the small end. Again, I have some eggs 

 in which the surface is almost chalky, and rough, with very 

 little gloss ; I think these must be due to immature hens ; the 

 typical egg is glossy, with a satiny texture, giving the 

 appearance of the background of a wedgewood plaque. The 

 shell is rather soft, and thickish, and the grain normal. 



Average size of 14 eggs is l'20"x "80". This is I think due 

 to the elongated eggs mentioned above. I think a more normal 

 size would be say 1-20" x -83". The length varies from 1-10" 

 to 1-30" and the breadth from 72" to -85". They are generally 

 less broad than those of T, chn/sopterum, and T. erythrocephalum 

 which 1 have in my collection, but in this connection, I think 

 all the measurements of eggs seem smaller in the Chin Hills 

 than in Cachar, and Assam. 



23. Assam Crimson-winged Laughing-Thrush— Trochalopterum phoeni- 



ceum baheri. (87 a). 



Obtained nests in all 3 years, the clutch being either 2 or 3 

 (generally the f.^-rmer). The nests were generally placed in 



