] 16 CRATEROPODID.E. 



btiinboo, and with only a few stems of grass here aiul tliere inter- 

 niiugled as if by accident. lu the sides of the cavity the leaf- 

 blades are so neatly laid together, side by side, that the interior 

 seems as if planked, and at the bottom of the cavity there is a 

 verv scanty lining of very fine grass-stems. 



Mr, Gates says : — " I found a nest on the 2nd June near Pegu, 

 with three eggs. Failing to snare the bird at once, I left the nest 

 for a short time, and on my return found the eggs gone. I am 

 satisiied, however, that the nest belonged to the present species ; 

 for I caugbt a glimpse of the sitting bird. The nest was built ou 

 the top of a stump, well concealed by leafy twigs, except the 

 entrance, which was open to view. It was a ball of grass witb the 

 opening at the side. 



" 2Sth June. — Nest in a shrub about 10 feet from the ground. 

 A domed structure with an opening at the side 3 inches high by 

 2 broad. Height of nest about 6 and outside width 4. Made 

 entirely of bamboo-leaves and lined sparingly with grass. Eggs 3. 

 " I have found numerous nests of this species, but always after 

 the young had flown. They appear almost always to be placed in 

 shrubs at heights of 2 to 10 feet from the ground. One nest, 

 however, on which I watched tbe birds at work, was in a pine- 

 apple plant between the stalk of the fruit and one of the leaves, 

 almost on tbe ground.'' 



The eggs are regular ovals, moderately elongated, only very 

 slightly compressed towards the smaller end, which is only just 

 appreciably smaller. 



The shell is very fine and delicate, excessively smooth and 

 fragile, but with only a faint gloss. The ground is a dead white, 

 with perhaps the least possible pinkish tinge. The markings con- 

 sist of tiny specks of In-ownish or purplish red and pale yellowish 

 brown, thinly scattered over the rest of the surface, but compara- 

 tively densely clustered round the larger end, where they form a 

 rather conspicuous though irregular and imperfect zone, apparent 

 enough in all, but much more strongly marked in one egg than in 

 the (;thers. 



In some eggs the markings are all rather bright red and dull 

 purplish grey ; some have a very fair amount of gloss, and a very 

 pure china-white ground. 



The eggs vary in length from 0-65 to O'Tl, and in breadth from 

 0-5 to 0-53. 



177. Mixornis gularis (Raffl.). The Sumatran YdJoiv-hreasted 



Babbler. 

 Mixornis gularis {Horsf.), Hume, Cat. no. oOo bis. 

 The eggs* are very similar to those of M. ruhricapillus, but are, 



* I eamiot find any note about tho nest of this sjjccics. Mr. Diivison was 

 probably tho finder of the eggs described. — Ed. 



