OKEOCl^CLA. 107 



608. Oreocincla dauma (Latli.). Tlte S, nail-billed Mouataia- 



Thrash. 



Oreocincla dauma {Lath.), Jerd. B. hid. \, p. 533 ; Hume, llouyh 

 Bi-aft N. ^- E. no. 871. 



Captain Cock * took a nest of the Small-billed Mouutain-Thrush 

 at Gulinerg in Cashmere on the Gth June, 1871. 



Colonel C. H. T. Marshall writes that he has received the egga 

 of this species taken by Captain Cock at Dooiigagully near Murree ; 

 the nest was found on the isth of Mar, 1876, and contained two 

 fresh eggs ; their colouring corresponds exactly with the description 

 ah'eady given in ' Xests and Eggs.' Length 1'38 by 0'94. 



Colonel Gr. F. L. Marshall remarks : — " A nest found on the 

 29th May, 1875, at Naini Tal, about 7000 feet above the sea, con- 

 tained three eggs. In shape it was a wide cup, not deep, built of 

 moss rather substantially, and neatly lined with stalks of maiden- 

 hair fern still bearing a few of their leaves and a few bents of 

 grass ; its position was in the fork of a moss-covered rhododendron ; 

 it was about 20 feet from the ground, and beautifully concealed ; 

 the tree overhung a little-frequented road in dense forest. The 

 bird was so excessively shy that I secured it with difficulty. They 

 are rather common at Xaini Tal, and have a pleasant song not un- 

 like that of Geocichla wanll. 



" The description of the eggs by Mr. Hume exactly answers to 

 those I took." 



The eggs are broad ovals, somewhat compressed and pointed 

 towards the small end ; they have a shght gloss, and remind one 

 somewhat of those of the 31i/iopJionei(s group. The ground-colour 

 is a pale greeiaish white (entirely obscured in some specimens by 

 the markings), very minutely and densely freckled and mottled 

 with pale brownish, or in some cases reddish purple. The mark- 

 ings are indistinct and clouded, and in some eggs form a small ill- 

 defined brighter patch or cap at the large end. Some eggs show 

 the ground pretty distinctly ; others, looked at from a little dis- 

 tance, appear to be a sort of mottled, dull, reddish buff through- 

 out. 



In length the eggs (only three measured) varied from 1*2 to 1*26 

 inch, and in breadth from 0'9 to 0-93 inch. 



699. Oreocincla nilghiriensis, Blyth, The Nihjhiri Thrush. 



Oreocincla nilghiriensis, Blyth, Jerd. B. Lid. i, p. 534 ; Llume, Cat, 

 no. 372. 



Mr. Ehodes W. Morgan, writing from South India, says : — 

 " This handsome Thrush breeds from March to June on the 



* Mr. Brooks appears, however, to claim the discovery of this nest, see S. F. 

 iii, p. "237, and Mr. Hume's note thereon. — Ed. 



