Birds of North-ivest Fohkien, 409 



Our collector took a nest of this Shrike-Tit on the 25th 

 April, 1897. It was on a tree a short way above the village, 

 and was slung between the twigs of a small fork at the 

 extremity of a branch. 



This nest is a shallow cup of triangular outer shape, made 

 of fine tendrils or fine roots, with an outer covering of long 

 silky moss and cocoon (or floss) silk of two or three shades 

 of yellow. One or two little bits of lichen adhere to the 

 base. The moss and silk are thickly wound round the twigs 

 holding the nest, and round the sides of the cup, the base 

 of which is of more or less open work, like the nests of 

 Chibia hottentota, with only a slight wrap of moss under 

 it. The inner depth is between 1^ and If inches. The 

 inner diameter at the rim is regular, about 2^ X 3 X 3^ inches ; 

 under the edge of the nest it is 3 inches. The outer 

 diameter at the rim is about 4| x 5 inches. 



Our men told us that there were four or five eggs in this 

 nest, but that two or three were jerked out when the nest 

 was taken. The two remaining eggs are slightly damaged. 

 One of these, in Mr. Rickett's collection, is ovate, white, 

 lightly speckled with dark and light brown over a few under- 

 lying grey spots. The markings form a narrow ring round 

 the large end. The other egg is also ovate in shape, mea- 

 suring 0'90x0'66 inch. It resembles Eickett's specimen, 

 but it is more thickly speckled at the large end, the markings 

 forming a thick zone, almost a cap. The texture of the egg 

 is not very smooth when seen through a lens, but the 

 surface is much polished. 



61. Allotrius pallidus David. 



This bird is probably a resident in the mountains of West 

 Fohkien. We have a few examples shot at Kuatun in spring 

 and autumn. 



The male has the upper wing-coverts and the innermost 

 secondaries washed with light bluish grey, and the outer 

 secondaries and the primaries edged with the same. The 

 side rectrices are also edged with grey, and the central 

 rectrices are washed with the same colour. The throat and 



