Nidification of Indian Birds. 45 



find laid by any bird of this subfamily, at all events judging 

 from those of its nearest relations, the eggs of which 

 are known. In colour it is a uniform pale bright blue, 

 approximating most closely in general tint to the eggs of 

 Trochalopterum lineatum, but paler and brighter. The tex- 

 ture is smooth and close, but, like that of Paradoxornis, 

 slightly soft or chalky. It has a decided, though slight, 

 gloss. The shape is a regular oval, very little compressed 

 towards the smaller end, which is but insignificantly smaller 

 than the other. It measures 0"-77 x 0"'6. 



Some three years ago a Naga brought a nest and e^^ of 

 this bird to me, but I disbelieved him when he told me to 

 what bird it belonged, and threw away the nest without 

 taking any notes. The egg I kept, and, comparing it now 

 with the one / knoiv to be authentic, I can see practically no 

 difference beyond the fact that it is much smaller, measuring 

 0"*73 by 0""53, and is a longer oval; the colour, texture, &c. 

 are the same, and I fancy it is really an egg of this Suthora. 



4. Dryonastes sannio. {Oates, op. cit. i. p. 7Q.) 

 I have only found this bird breeding in one place in North 

 Cachar, the Laising Valley, which is over 2500 feet above 

 the plains. Bordering the stream, which runs through it, on 

 either side is evergreen forest, the ground rocky, but here 

 and there rather densely covered with bush-jungle and with 

 a carpet of soft moss, wild ealadiums, maiden-hair and other 

 ferns ; it was in such a place as this I got my first nest. In 

 general appearance it was like the nests of D. ruficoUis, but 

 was larger and more massive in proportion. Outwardly it 

 measured fully 6"'6 in diameter, and the external depth was 

 about 4", the measurements inside being about 3""5 by 2"*5. 

 All the materials used were very dark, and consisted of dead, 

 almost rotten, sun-grass, fern, and moss-roots, a few dead 

 bamboo-leaves, and one or two other leaves, all bound 

 together with soft weed-stems and a few tendrils, and lined 

 with coarse fern-roots and fern-stems. Other nests taken 

 since resemble this one very closely, and differ from it merely 

 in size, the diameter outside varying between 5"'5 and 7", 



