218 Mr. E. C. Stuart Baker on the 



full complement of eggs seems to be three ; less than this 

 number I have never seen showing signs of incubation, and 

 four I have not taken. 



In appearance^ judging only from the description given by 

 Hume, the eggs must very closely resemble those of L. ca- 

 pistrata, and they are extremely like the eggs I have per- 

 sonally taken of Actinodura egertoni. The ground-colour is 

 a pale, rather bright blue-green, the markings consisting 

 principally of pale reddish-brown lines, together with a few 

 blots, blotches, and specks of the same colour, in addition 

 to which there are often a few well-marked dots of purply 

 red and a few indistinct blotches, looking as if half washed 

 out. The lines are often of great length, though from their 

 twisted and knotted character they do not always take much 

 room. In two eggs out of three these lines are the pre- 

 dominating form of marking, in others the clouds and 

 blotches are most numerous, and in some they are equally 

 distributed. In all my eggs the markings, of whatever kind 

 they may be, appear to be confined to no portion of the 

 surface in particular. 



In shape the eggs are rather long ovals, very regular as a 

 rule, but occasionally a little compressed towards the smaller 

 end, which is, however, always blunt. The surface is smooth, 

 but almost, if not quite, glossless, and when examined very 

 closely is seen to be minutely, almost invisibly pitted. 

 Fifteen eggs average 0"'86 by 0"'59, and in length vary 

 between 0"-82 and 0"-89, but in breadth only between 0"-58 

 and0"-61. 



My largest and smallest eggs were both obtained in the 

 same clutch. I have only found it breeding on the lofty 

 Hungrum and Lere ranges and the surrounding peaks, which 

 rise to over 6500 feet, and it rarely, I think, descends below 

 5000 feet. It breeds, so far as I know, in April and May 

 only. 



21. Staphidia castaneiceps. {Oates, op, cit. i. p. 205.) 

 At least nine tenths of the nests of this little Staphidia 

 I have taken — and by this time the number must be over 40 



