104 CEATEROPODID^. 



plants about 2 feet from the ground. Of these eggs I noted that 

 before being blown the shell was of a ruddy salmon colour. The 

 mai'ks are much as in the others described above." 



The eggs are moderately broad ovals, somewhat pointed at times 

 towards the small end, and occasionally slightly pyriform. The 

 shell is fine and glossy ; the ground-colour is pinky white, with a 

 redder shade about the large end. A few streaks, spots, and hiero- 

 glyphics of a deep brownish red, each more or less surrounded by a 

 reddish nimbus, are scattered very thinly about the surface of the 

 egg, while, besides these, a few small greyish-purple subsurface- 

 looking spots may be observed about the larger end. The aA^erage 

 size of the seven eggs I possess is 0-82 by 0'64. 



163. Alcippe nepalensis (Hodgs.). The Nejial Babbler. 



Alcippe nipalensis {Ilodgs.), Jerd. B. hid. ii, p. 18 ; Hume, Eou(jh 

 Rough Draft N. Sf K no. 388. 



The Nepal Babbler, according to Mr. Hodgson's notes, breeds 

 from March to May, building a deep, massive, cup-shaped nest, 

 firmly fastened between two or three upright shoots, and laying 

 three or four eggs, which are figured as measuring 0-7 by 0-55. 

 He has the following note : — 



" Valley, April 1st. — A pair and nest. Nest is round, 4 inches 

 deep on the outside and 2 inches within, and the same wide, being 

 of the usual soup-basin shape and open at the top, made of dry 

 leaves bound together with hair-like grass-fibres and moss-roots, 

 which also form the lining, further compacted by spiders' webs, 

 which, being also twisted round three adjacent twigs, form the 

 suspenders of the nest, the bottom of which does not rest upon 

 anything ; attached to a low bush 1 1 foot from the ground. The 

 nest contained three eggs of a pinkish-white ground thickly spotted 

 with chestnut, the spots being almost entirely confluent at the 

 large end." 



Dr. Jerdon says : — " I had the nest and eggs brought me by the 

 Lepchas. The nest was loosely made with grass and bamboo- 

 leaves, and the eggs were white with a few reddish-brown spots." 



A nest of this species was found near Darjeeling in July, at an 

 elevation of between 3000 and 4000 feet. It was situated in a small 

 bush, in low brushwood, and placed only about 2 feet from theground. 

 The nest is a compactly made and moderately deep cup. The ex- 

 terior portion of the nest is composed of bamboo-leaves, more or 

 less held in their places by fine horsehair-like black roots, with 

 which also the cavity is very thickly and neatly lined. Exteriorly 

 the nest is about 3*75 inches in diameter, and nearly 3 in height. 

 Tlie cavity is 2-2.5 in diameter and 1*6 in depth. 



The nest contained three nearly fresh eggs. The eggs are mode- 

 rately elongated ovals, very regular and slightly pointed towards 

 the small end. The shell is fine and exhibits a slight gloss. Tlie 

 ground-colour is white or pinkish white, and they are i'^-rv/ minutely 

 speckled all over with purplish red. The specklings exhibit a 



