DRYONASTES. 139: 
(120) Dryonastes ruficollis. 
Tue Rurous-NECKED LavGHING-THRUSH. 
Tanthocincla ruficollis Jard. & Selby, Hl. Orn., 2nd series, pl. 21 
(Himalayas). 
Dryonastes ruficollis, Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 78. 
Vernacular names. Pobduya, Hath Gurri-qurri( Beng.) ; Rapchen- 
pho (Lepeha); Doopooleeka (Assam); Dao-popalika (Cachari). 
Description. Crown and nape slaty-grey ; remainder of head, 
throat and centre of upper breast black; sides of neck to ear- 
coverts bright chestnut; upper plumage and wings olive-brown ; 
the outer webs of the primaries ashy ; tail black, the base suffused 
with olive-green; breast, upper abdomen, sides of the body and 
thighs olive-brown; centre of lower abdomen and under tail-coverts 
bright chestnut. 
Colours of soft parts. Iris bright red ; legs, feet and bill black- 
Measurements. Total length about 250 mm.; wing 100 to 
105 mm.; tail about 115 mm.; tarsus about 35 mm.; culmen 
about 20 mm. 
Distribution. Eastern Nepal, through Assam, North and South 
of the Brahmaputra, Manipur, Lushai, Tippera and Chittagong 
Hill tracts, and Bhamo and the Upper Chindwin. 
Nidification. The Rutous-necked Laughing -Thrush breeds 
principally in April and May, but nests may be found containing 
eggs almost any time from March to August, and I have had them 
brought to me once in September. The nests are deep, rather 
untidy structures of grass, leaves, roots and tendrils lined with 
roots, fern-rachides or coarse fibre. They are cup-shaped and are 
generally placed in high bushes or small trees in scrub-jungle or 
the secondary growth in deserted cultivation. The eggs number 
three or four and are an intensely glossy pale skim-milk blue, pale 
blne or practically white, the latter being rare. 200 eggs average 
25°7 x 20'°0 mm. They breed generally below 2,000 feet. 
Habits. This Laughing-Thrush is a very gregarious, very noisy 
bird, haunting the outskirts of villages, scrub- and bamboo- 
jungle, reeds or Jong grass. It is very partial to the dense 
matted growth which at once springs up in deserted culti- 
vation but it is not a forest bird, and when seen in the forest 
it will be only on the fringe of it. The parties, which may number 
anything from half-a-dozen to twenty or more, feed both on the 
ground and in amongst the lower cover, clambering freely about 
in a very energetic manner and keeping up a continual noisy 
chatter, which every now and then bursts into a perfect babel of 
shrieks, laughs and expostulations. They are not shy birds and 
do not resent observation, though from their habits they may some- 
times be difficult to see but in the vicinity of villages the flocks are 
