56 Mr. E. C. Stuart Ikker on the 



often a deep cup, or a cup with one side prolonged and bent 

 over, than is the nest of any Pellorneum, though cup-sliaped 

 ones are not rare even amongst birds of that genus. Perhaps 

 also, on the whole, it is more compact than that of a Pel- 

 lorneum, the materials being more welded together, damper, 

 and heavier. Two nests out of three will be taken from off 

 the ground itself, but others are ])laced low down in bamboo- 

 clumps, thick bushes, or other similar situations. One I 

 once found was in a damp mass of weeds, caladiums, and 

 creeping-raspberries, placed about 18 inches from the ground, 

 and, whilst well hidden from view on three sides, was plainly 

 visible from the fourth side, where a track ran down the 

 steep hill, leading from a camping-ground to a small stream. 

 The bird, though so shy, is a close sitter, and does not leave 

 the nest until the finder has come very close ; but when it 

 does leave it seems to become at once invisible, gliding away 

 noiselessly into the nearest cover thick enough to conceal it. 



The series of eggs I have taken show practically no varia- 

 tion in shape or in colour and character of their markings. 

 The ground-colour is a pale greenish grey, varying very 

 slightly in intensity and but little in hue, though some few 

 may be rather more decidedly green than grey, and vice versa. 

 In all the markings consist of very numerous freckles and 

 small irregular blotches of pale reddish brown, distributed, 

 as a rule, almost equally over the whole surface, but in a good 

 many forming a very indistinct cap or ring. Besides the 

 superior marks there are inferior or underlying ones, ranging 

 in tint from the very palest bluish grey to a rather warm 

 purplish grey. The eggs they most closely resemble are 

 dark, dull, but profusely blotched eggs of Copsychus saularis 

 and Cittocincla macrura. In shape and texture they are veiy 

 much like the eggs of Pellorneum ignotum, just described, 

 but the surface is rather dull ; only in one clutch is the very 

 faintest gloss perceptible. 



Twenty-seven eggs average 0"'81 x 0"'61, the longest and 

 the broadest measuring 0"*88 x 0""66 respectively, whilst the 

 shortest and nai-rowest are 0"*77xO"'58. The earliest eggs 

 taken were found on the 29th of April, 1890, and the latest 



