Nldification of Indiuyi Birds. 49 



that, typically, the nest of the bird is rather neater and 

 deeper than that of T. lineatum, as described by Hume 

 ('Nests and Eggs/ vol, i. p. 65), and that another distinctive 

 feature is the invariable use of tendrils in its construction, 

 these being sometimes very numerous, at other times but 

 few in number, yet always present to a greater or less extent. 



This bird breeds principally in May, a few late in April, 

 and I have taken one nest and eggs in the middle of July. 



The normal number of eggs laid is three, sometimes but 

 two, never, so far as I know, four. I have already mentioned 

 that the texture very closely resembles that of the eggs of 

 Dryonastes sannio, and there is therefore nothing to add 

 beyond the fact that they have a slight gloss, though rather 

 less than is shown by the few eggs I have seen of T. lineatum ; 

 in colour also they are somewhat paler than these eggs, 

 and amongst the 23 eggs I have taken there has been 

 no appreciable diffierence in the shade of colouring or of the 

 shape. This latter is a rather broad oval, but slightly com- 

 pressed towards the smaller end, which is very blunt. 



Twenty-three eggs average l"xO""73, the greatest length 

 being 1""08 and the greatest breadth 0""76, the least being 

 respectively 0""98 and 0""78. The average of fifty-eight eggs 

 of T. lineatum is given by Hume as being 1"'01 by 0"'73, 

 which is very close to the average of my eggs of T. viryatum, 

 though the extremes of length and breadth given by him are 

 far wider apart than are mine. 



7. Grammatoptila AUSTENi. (Ofl^e*-, op. cit. i. p. 104.) 

 I have only one very rough note on the nldification of 

 this bird, which is as follows : — '' Nest exactly like that de- 

 scribed by Gammie as belonging to G. striata (Hume, 'Nests 

 and Eggs,^ vol. i. p. 67), but measuring an inch broader, 

 that is to say, externally 8""5 by about 6", and internally 

 about 5" by 2"-3." 



The nest was placed in a thick bush at a height of less 

 than five feet from the ground. The eggs have been broken 

 by accident, so that I cannot describe them beyond saying 

 that they were just like some eggs of G. striata given rae by 



SER. VII. — VOL. I. E 



