LIOPTILA. 135 



The eggs vary in length from 0"9.5 to l-O, and in breadth from 

 0-66 to 0-72. 



205. Lioptila gracilis (McCIelh). The Grey Sihia. 

 Malacias gracilis {McClcll.), Hume, Cat. no. 429 bis. 



Colonel Godwin-Ansten is, 1 believe, tlie only oruitliologist who 

 has as yet secured the nest and eggs of the Grey Sibia. He says : — 

 " In the ])ine forest that covers the slopes of the hills descending 

 into the Umian \alley in Assam, 0]ie of my men marlved a nest on 

 J une 25th ; I proceeded to the spot soon after I had heard of it, and 

 on coming up to the tree, a pine, saw the female fly off out of the 

 head of it. But the nest was so well hidden by the boughs of the 

 fir, that it was quite invisible from below. The bird after a short 

 time came back, and then 1 saw it was Sibia gracilis ; btit it was 

 very shy and seeing us went off again, and hung about the trees at 

 a distance of some 50 yards ; while thus waiting, some four or five 

 others were also seen. The female, however, would not venture 

 back, and I sent one of my Goorkhas up, to cut off the head of 

 the fir, nest and all, first taking out the eggs. It contained three, 

 of a pale sea-green, with ash-brown streakings and blotchings all 

 over. 



" The nest was constructed of dry grass, moss, and rootlets, and 

 the green spinules of the fir were worked into it, fixing it most 

 firmly in its place in the crown of the pine where it was much 

 forked." 



206. Lioptila melanoleuca (Bl.). Tid-dVs Sibia. 

 Malacias melanoleucus (BL), Hume, Cat. no. 429 quart. 



IMr. W. Davison was fortunate enough to secttre a nest of this 

 Sibia on Muleyit mountain in Tenasserim. He says : — " I secured 

 a nest of tliis species on the 21st of February, containing two 

 spotless pale blue eggs slightly incubated. The nest, a deep com- 

 pactly woven cup, was placed about 40 feet from the ground, 

 in the fork of one of the smaller branches of a high tree growing 

 on the edge of a deep ravine. 



" The egg-cavity of the nest is lined with fern-roots, fibres and 

 fine grass-stems ; outside this is a thick coating of dried bamboo- 

 leaves and coarse grass, and outside this again is a thick irregular 

 coating of green moss, dried leaves, and coarse fibres and fern- 

 roots. 



" Externally the nest measures about 5 inches in height, and 

 nearly the same in external diameter at the top. 



"The egg-cavity measures 1'7 deep by 2-7 across. 



" The eggs, a pale spotless blue, measure 0-95 and 0*u8 in length 

 by 0-66 and 0-68 in breadth." 



