Species of Reguloides and Phylloscopus. 27 



about two inches, and the entrance about one and a half inch 

 in diameter. About twenty yards from the nest was a large, 

 old, hollow fir tree ; and in this I sat till the female returned 

 to her nest. My attendant then quietly approached the spot^ 

 when she flew out of the nest and sat on a low branch two or 

 three yards from it. Then she uttered her " tiss-yip," which I 

 know so well, and darted away among the pines. My man 

 retired, upon which she soon returned ; and having called for a 

 few minutes in the vicinity of the nest, she ceased her note and 

 quickly entered. Again she was quietly disturbed, and sat on 

 a twig not far from her nest. I heard her call once more, and 

 then shot her. There were five eggs, which were slightly 

 incubated. 



The capture delighted me; but I felt sorry that I had shot 

 her off her valuable eggs. I was much struck with the very 

 worn state of her plumage ; the yellow and the olive were so 

 faded, and the bars on the wing worn. The newly moulted 

 autumnal bird is very different. Few birds fade so much and 

 lose colour to the extent that this little bird does. I took two 

 other nests that same day (31st of May), also a nest of Regu- 

 luides occipitalis, and one of Siphia leucomelanura. In the 

 mean time Capt. Cock had reached Sonamerg, which proved to 

 be a better place for Reguloides than even Gulmerg ; and on the 

 same day he took his first nest of Reguloides superciliosus. In 

 his letter to me he says, " Now for R. superciliosus. I took 

 my first nest on the 31st, with five eggs, and shot the old bird. 

 This bird builds, in an exactly similar situation as Ahrornis, a 

 little globular nest, placed on the side of a steep bank, with 

 only the little entrance-hole exposed to view. The nest is com- 

 posed of dry grass outside, a little moss, and thickly lined with 

 hair of the musk-deer." 



My second nest was placed on the side of a steep bank, on 

 the ground. The third was similarly placed, and composed of 

 coarse grass and moss, and lined with black horse-hair. In 

 each of these nests the number of eggs was five. 



Another nest, taken on the 1st of June, with four eggs, was 

 placed on the ground, on a sloping bank, at the foot of a small 

 thin bush. It was composed as usual of coarse dry grass and 



