HTPOTHYMIS. 27 



" The foundation and exterior were formed almost entirely of dry 

 bamboo-leaves, well curved to shape, and rather coarse iibres ; the 

 interior was formed with line fibres and a few grass-stalks. 

 There were two eggs, quite fresh, both measuring "75 x '58 ; both 

 male and female birds were in chestnut plumage. The female 

 when sitting has the whole head and tail projecting over the nest. 

 The male has a loud liarsh chatter, incessantly uttered when any 

 one comes near the nest." 



Mr. J. Darling, Jun., writes : — " 21st April. Found a nest just 

 building, three feet from ground, in a fork of a small sapling in 

 bamboo jungle, east of Tavoy." 



Two beautiful little nests are sent me by Mr. Grammie as belong- 

 ing to this species, but differ so much from those of the allied 

 species that, as he did not take them with his own hands, I must 

 consider that their authenticity requires confirmation. 



The nests were taken in the Teesta valley in April, at an eleva- 

 tion of 500-700 feet only above sea-level. They are deep cups, 

 about 2-5 inches in diameter and 1*75 in height exteriorly, and with 

 cavities about 2 in diameter and 1"3 in depth. They are com- 

 posed of fine blades of grass wound carefully round and round, 

 and completely though thinly coated with moss, firmly held in its 

 place by a few strings of cobweb. The one is lined entirely with 

 excessively fine brown hair-like grass and rootlets, the other with 

 fine black (?) fern-stems, which I took to be horsehairs until burn- 

 ing one I found that it wns vegetable matter. 



Two eggs sent me by Mr. Gammie are moderately elongated 

 ovals, a little pointed towards one end. Tlie shells are very fine, 

 but have only a slight gloss. The ground-colour is pinky white, 

 and they are sparingly speckled, chiefly in an irregular ill-defined 

 zone round the large end, where in one egg the specks are rather 

 densely set, with pale, slightly brownish, red. In and about the 

 zone a few pale purple specks and tiny clouds are noticeable. 



The etrgs are very similar to those of T. paradisic moderately 

 broad ovals, obtuse at one end, somewhat pointed towards the 

 other, the shells fine and delicate, but compact and strong, and 

 with a perceptible though not striking gloss. The ground-colour 

 is a pinky cream, and they are profusely speckled and spotted in 

 an irregular imperfect zone about the large end, and thinly else- 

 where, with red, sometimes bright, sometimes slightly brownish, 

 and more sparingly with pale pui"ple or purplish grey. 



8ix eggs varv in length from 0*79 to 0-S9 and in breadth from 

 0-6 to 0-62. 



601. Hypothymis aziirea (Bodd.). Tlie Indian Blach-ncqied 

 Fhjcatclier. 



Myiagra azurea {Bodd.), Jerd. B. Ind. i, p. 450 ; Hume, Rough Draft 

 N. ^- E. no. 290. 



The Indian Black-naped Flycatcher breeds in the low, warm, 

 \\'ell-\\ ooded valleys of the Sub-Himalayan Ranges to a height of 



