MUSCELLASEOUS NOTES. 749 



Mr. J. C. Hopwood found another nost near Kindat on :i7th March 1907 

 in a hollinv <mi the ground, containiufj '2 fresh ej^'^s, siniihir to mine. 



(•_M. PomatDildini* olirnceus rif}pt,ni—{\\S(t) The !Shan States Scimitar 

 Babbler. Maymyo, 3-5-17, nest with 3 fresh eggs, one of which was unfor- 

 tuiiati'ly bri)ken in blowin^. The nest was jilaced on the ground, among 

 dead bamboo leaves. Eggs -O.V'x 70". and iUi " x (iO". Mr. Hopwood found 

 a nest in a simihir situation containing ^l fresh eggs on 9th May 1917. His 

 eggs measureil about the same as mine. 



Mr. J3. B. Osniaston found a nest in 19l(J about tlie middle of October, 

 containing 3 hard set eggs. This seems to indicate that the bird is some- 

 times at any rate doubk^-brooded. 



(3). Poinator/iiiitis nuc/ialis — (117) Tweeddale's Scimitar Babbler. Prome, 

 t*4th July 1917. 1 found this nest the evening before, containing two 

 eggs. On returning on the i'4th, I shot the bird to put its identity out of 

 question but the nest only contained one egg. measuring -95" X'74". The 

 nest was the usual domed structure but with its long axis horizontal, not 

 vertical, placed in a bamboo clump, supported by 3 cidms about 4' 6" from 

 the ground. It was on a little used path, on the edge of a patch of bamboo 

 jungle, where it joined a ' Ponzo' or piece of abandoned hill cultivation. 

 It was raining hard at the time when I took it, but the nest was ap- 

 parently waterproof, as the egg was dr}\ 



(4). Pomatorhinus hifpoleucus hiipoleucus — (131) The Arracan Scimitar 

 Babbler. Upper Chindwin. 2 fresh eggs, in December 1913. The nest was 

 in a thick bamboo clump, about '2 feet from the ground. 



Mr. J, C. Hopwood took a nest on the Arracan Yoma on 26th January 

 1909 in dense bamboo jungle. He has kindly permitted me to quote from 

 his notes: "'A domed cup, measuring 13" x 7" outside, and 3"x3" inside. 

 Foundation of dead bamboo leaves, the nest itself of the twigs and tendrils 

 of a creeper, cuj) thickly lined with roots and fibres of fern, placed in the 

 twigs of a broken bamboo. Two fresh eggs, measured r29"x "Se" and 

 l-30"x-88". 



Mr Hopwood found another nest near Kindat, in a cane brake in Janu- 

 ary or February, similar to this one. 



(o). Pomatorhinus ferruf/inosus pJiai/rei — (124) Phayre's Scimitar Babbler. 

 Chin Hills. 3 or 4 nests taken, 24-4-14 and 10-5-15. Average size of 6 

 eggs, •98"x-72". 



(6). Pomatorhinus rujicollis baker i — (125«) Baker's Rufous-necked Scimitar 

 Babbler. Chin Hills. Taken 13-5-13 (2 nests), 25-4-14. Average size of 6 

 eggs -87" X -66". 



(7). Pomatorhinus erytkroffent/s macclellandi — (130) McClelland's Scimitar 

 Babbler. Chin Hills. Taken 6-."j-13 to lfi-.")-l.'5 (10 nests). Average size 

 of 30 eggs, 1-02" X -76". 



It is invariably a very dangerous thing to generalise, especially with in- 

 sufficient material and I do so with great diffidence. Judging from the 

 small series of these eggs to which I have had access, it seems that the 

 family divides itself " Oologically " into two groups, the first (P. s. mearsi, 

 P. o. ripponi, and P. niichalis) laying pointed eggs with thin and fragile 

 shells, the second {P.f. phayrrd, P. h. hypoleucus, P. r. hakeri, and P. e. mac- 

 clellandi) laying eggs which are generally more obtuse, and have both 

 actually and comparatively thicker and stouter shells than the first 

 group. The second group appears to contain the larger birds of the group 

 but the difference in eggs does not ap])ear to coincide exactly with the 

 difference in the bills among the birds of the sub-family as noted in Oates, 

 F.B.I. 



P. h. hypoleucus is aberrant in laying in the cold weather. Of the others 

 P. 0. ripponi is certainly, and the remainder are possibly, sometimes if 



