204 DICRURID^. 



elevation of GOOO to 7000 feet, and lays during the months of May 

 and June. 



They build generally in large trees, at a considerable height from 

 the ground, placing their somewhat shallow cup-shaped nests in 

 some slender fork towards the summit or exterior of the tree. 



The nest is neatly and firmly built, of fine grass-stems, slender 

 twigs, and grass-roots, closely interwoven, and externally bound 

 together with cobwebs, in which, as in the body of the nest, lichens 

 of several species are much intermingled. Exteriorly the nests are 

 from 4 to 5 inches in diameter, and from 2 to 2.4 in height. In- 

 teriorly they are lined with moss, roots, hairs, and fine grass ; the 

 cavity measuring from 3 to ?yr> inches in breadth, and from I'l to 

 1*4 inch in depth. The normal number of the eggs is four. 



Mr. Brooks says : — " The nest is usually fixed on the upper 

 surface of a tliin branch about 15 to 20 feet from the ground, and 

 at its junction with another branch, the nest being partly embedded 

 in the fork of two horizontal branches. It is composed of grass, 

 fibres, and roots, and lined with finer grasses and a few hairs. 

 The nest is broader and much shallower than that of D. ater ; out- 

 side it is covered with spiders' webs and small bits of lichen. 



" The eggs are four in number, sometimes only three, and vary 

 much in size, shape, and colour; size 1*0 by 0-7 inch : some are 

 buff, blotched with light reddish brown and pale purple-grey ; 

 others are lighter buff, almost white in fact, spotted and marked 

 more sparingly than the first described with the same tu'o colours, 

 but each of a darker tint ; others are white, marked sparingly with 

 spots and blotches of dark purple-brown and reddish brown, and 

 intermixed with larger blotches of deep pur])le-grey, the markings 

 principally forming a zone at the larger end. Others, again, are 

 pale purplish uhite, spotted with dark and light purple-brow]i, 

 and intermixed w ith spots and blotches of purple-grey. The shape 

 of the egg varies as much as the colouring, some being of a fine 

 oval form, \\hile others are quite pyriform. Laying in Kumaon 

 from the middle to end of May." 



As I shall notice further on, I think that Mr. Brooks is mistaken 

 about some of his eggs. 



Captain Hutton remarks : — " This species, the only one that 

 visits Mussoorie, arrives from the Doon about the middle of March, 

 and retires again about September. It is abundant during the 

 summer months, and breeds from the latter end of April till the 

 middle of June, making a very neat nest, which is placed in the 

 bifurcation of a horizontal branch of some tall tree, usually an oak 

 tree; it is constructed of grey lichens gathered from the trees, and 

 fine seed-stalks of grasses, firmly and neatly interwoven ; with the 

 latter it is also usually lined, although sometimes a black fibrous 

 lichen is used ; externally the materials are kept compactly to- 

 gether by being plastered over \^•ith s])iders' uebs. It is altogether 

 a light and elegant nest. The shape is circular, somewhat shallow : 

 internal diameter 3 inches. The eggs are three or four, generally 

 the latter number, and so variable in colour and distribution of 



