ALCURUS. MOLPABTF.S. 1 60 



tliroiigliout ili(! year on ilic hills i-ound tlic vall(>y of Nepal, liiit 

 never tenants tlie central woods. Jt is generally round in busiies 

 and bush trees, not in high tree-forest ; and is commonly set^n in 

 pairs. The breeding-season appears to b(! May and June. A nest 

 was taken on the 6tli June, which contained tuo fresh eggs. Tiie 

 nest was somewhat oval in shape, measuring 3-35 inches in length 

 and 2*5 across ; the egg-cavity was about 1 inch deep in the centre, 

 and th(! bottom of the nest 1'25 thick. It was attached to a 

 sh^nder fork oF a tree, and was composed externally of fi'rns, dry 

 leaves, roots, grass, and a little moss, bound tog(;ther with liiu; 

 black hair-like fibres, which were; wound round tlu^ prongs of the 

 fork so as regularly to suspend the ncsst like an Oriole's. Tlusre 

 was a regular lining, distinct from the; body of tin; nest, composed 

 of fine long yellowish grass-stems, and a little cobweb was spread 

 here and there over tlie braneh(^s of the fork and tin; outside of 

 the nest. The (;ggs are rather long ovals, smiilh^r at one end, and 

 fairly glossy ; they measure 1*0 by 0-7, and 0-97 by 0-7. Tlie 

 ground-colour is pure pinkish white, abundantly speckled and 

 ifinely spotted witii reddish purple; the spots closely crowded to- 

 g{;ther at the large end, but not confluent, forming in oni; egg a 

 broadish zone, and in tlie other a cap ; in the latter egg th(!re are 

 a few faint underlying stains of ])ur|)]ish inky at th(! large; end." 



Two eggs sent nu; by Mr. Mandelli I'roui Darjoeling, said to belong 

 to this species, an; elongated ovals, much pointed towai'ds the small 

 end. Th(! shell is fin(! and fairly glossy; tlu; ground-colour a dull 

 sahnon-])ink, and they an; ])rofus(;ly and minutely freckled, speckled, 

 and streaked (so densely at the; large end that tli(; markings tliere 

 an; almost confluent) with dull reddish purple. 



The eggs m<'asure 1-00 and 1-11 by 0-07. 



277. Alcurus striatus(J^l.). The ^Striated (Jrccn IhUlnd. 

 Alcurus striutus ( III.), Jcrd. B. Ind. ii, p. 81. 

 Mr. Mandelli sent me a nest of this species which was found, 

 he said, on the; Sth May about 4 feet from the ground amongst tli(; 

 foliage; of a kind of prickly bamboo grow ing out of the crevices of a 

 patch of larg(; stones n(;ar Lebong (elevation 5000 feet), and con- 

 tained two eggs nearly ready to hatch. The nest is a shallow cup, 

 about 3-75 inclH;s in diameter and 1-5 in height externally, composefl 

 entirely of fine brown fibrous roots, a litth; bound tog(;ther outside 

 with wool and the silk of cocoons and with two or thi'e(; litth; bits 

 of moss stuck about it, and sparingly lined with hair-like grass. 

 It is altogether a light l)rown nest, no dark material being used in 

 it at all. The cavity is 2-75 inches in diameter and about 1 deep. 



278. Molpastes haemorrhous ((im.). The Madras Jied-venlcd 



Balhid. 

 rycnonotiis liaimonhoiis (6'?/i.), Jf-rc/. li. hid. ii, p. 94. 

 INIolpastespiisilliis (Bl), Hume, Ituiujh Draft N. ^ E. no. 402. 



The Madras Eed-vented Jjulbul, which by the way (extends 



