86 TUKDID.T3. 



664. Cittocincla macrura (Grm.). The Shama. 



Kittcacincla macroura (Gm.), Jerd. B. Ind. ii, p. 116. 



Cercotrichas macrourus (Gm.), Hume, Rouyh Draft N. Sf E. no. 4/6. 



The Shama is a permanent resident of the warm and well- 

 watered jungles of the Peninsula of India and of Burma ; but my 

 only information in regard to its nest and eggs is from Tenas- 

 serim and Pegu. 



Well might Jerdou doubt that Philipp's 8hama, described as 

 perching on walls and breeding in houses, could be this species *. 

 In the North-Western Provinces it is absolutely unknown, except 

 in the lower outer regions of the Himalayas and the various Terais 

 and Dhoons that skirt their bases. 



As to its nidification in Tenasserim Mr. Davison writes : — " I 

 have only found two nests of this bird. The first I obtained on 

 the 17th April, on the road to Meeta Myo, about 4000 feet above 

 the sea-level. It was in a hole in an old stump growing on the 

 side of a mountain torrent. It was built of dry leaves and twigs, 

 and the egg-cavity was lined with finer dry twigs. It contained 

 two half-fledged young ones and one addled egg. 



" The second nest I found at Shymootee, about 7 miles from 

 Tavoy, on the 5th May, 1874 ; it was placed in a hole at the top 

 of an old stump. The materials it was composed of were the 

 same as in the other case, but much more in quantity. The hole 

 went rather deep, and the bird had filled up the cavity to within 

 about 4 inches of the top of the stump, thus making the depth of 

 the nest from top to base of foundation more than 12 inches. The 

 hole in the stump measured only 3-5, the egg-cavity being 3 inches 

 in diameter. The nest contained two partially incubated eggs and 

 one addled one." 



Major C. T. Bingham writes also from Tenasserim : — " The 

 following is a note about its nidification: — 



" On the slope of a steep spur of the east watershed range of 

 the Meplay river, in dense bamboo forest, I found, on tlie 4th 

 April, 1S78, a nest of the above bird. A AVoodpecker had made 

 a hole in a partially dry wahbo bamboo (Bamhusa brandisiana) of 

 immense girth. Of this the Shama had taken advantage, and 

 having stuifed up the hollow from the next knot below to within 

 three inches of the hole with dry bamboo-leaves, had above that 

 made a loose cup-shaped nest of twigs and roots. I was eating 

 my lunch, seated on a rock not far from the bamboo in question, 

 and saw the female, after making two or three short flights and 

 balking herself in the direction of the hole, finally enter it. I 

 approached very cautiously, and stufl!ing my handkcirchief into 

 the entrance-hole, managed to secure eggs and bird. The former 

 were four in number, slightly set, of an oily green colour, much 

 spotted, speckled, and dashed with umber-brown. They measured 



* But Lieut. II. E. Barnes lias explained tliat Pliiliiip's Shama wiis Cerco/iic/a 

 fusca (Journ. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc. ii, p. 5(), 1887).— Eu. 



