Nidification of Indian Birds. 55 



constant, abnormal eggs not existing, so far as my experience 

 goes. They are regular, rather broad ovals, very slightly, if 

 at all, compressed towards either end, and though in a few 

 they are slightly lengthened, still they are always blunt. 

 The two most lengthened clutches I have are also the only 

 two in which the markings are entirely confined to the larger 

 end, but though the markings might be termed abnormal, at 

 least in their distribution, the eggs are not sufficiently long 

 or pointed in shape to be so called. The shell, though thin, 

 and therefore fragile, is close and firm in texture, showing a 

 fair amount of gloss. 



Ninety-two eggs vary between 0"-72 and 0"-90 in length, 

 and in breadth only between 0"-57 and 0""62j the average 

 of the same number being 0"-78 by 0"-60. It is curious 

 that, whilst the variations in length cover 0"-18, the varia- 

 tions in extreme breadth should be only 0''*5. Of the total 

 92 eggs measured, only six exceed 0""81, and only seven 

 were less than 0"'75 in length, so that, omitting these 13 

 eggs, the remaining 79 varied but 0"-9 in their extremes 

 of length. 



The earliest date I have recorded on which I have taken 

 eggs is the 20th of April, 1893, and the latest is the 29th 

 of July of the same year. 



14. Drymocataphus tickelli. [Oates, op. cit. i. p. 146.) 

 The eggs of this bird are recorded in Hume's ' Nests and 

 Eggs,' but as I have now no hesitation in stating that Bingham 

 must have been in error when he assigned the eggs found 

 by him to this species, I include it in the list I am now 

 preparing. 



On some fifteen occasions I have taken the nest, obtainino- 

 either the male or female bird at the same time ; a dozen 

 times I have had it trapped, and thrice I have shot one either 

 on the nest or close to it. This, the nest, is, as might be 

 expected, much like that of a Pellornemn, being made of 

 bamboo-leaves and soft sun-grass, but having a more or less 

 large amount of dead leaves, fern-fronds, and other similar 

 material woven in with the others. In shape it is more 



