DRYONASTES, 143 
Colours of soft parts and Measurements as in D. ¢. cerulatus. 
Distribution. Khasia Hills only. 
Nidification. The Shillong Laughing-Thrush breeds in May and 
June in the pine-forests between 4,0U0 and 6,000 feet. The nest 
is like that of the last bird, but seldom has bamboo leaves in the 
materials of which it is composed and, on the other hand, often 
has pine needles. It is generally placed in a high, thin bush in 
one of the numerous bush- and fern-covered nullahs or ravines 
running through the pine-forests but it may also be found in 
tangles of raspberry or blackberry vines within a couple of feet 
of the ground. The eggs number two or three, very rarely four, 
and are like those of cerulatus, perhaps a little more highly 
polished, yet never like the eggs of the Rufous-necked Laughing- 
Thrush. Forty eggs average 29:3 x 20°8 mm., but vary very greatly 
in size. 
Habits. This is not so noisy a bird as most others of the genus 
Dryonastes, but it has the same habit of wandering about in floeks 
of half-a-dozen to a dozen in undergrowth and scrub-jungle, all 
the while keeping up constant conversation which now and then 
breaks out into violent abuse or argument. Many of its notes are 
very full, soft and pleasant, but others are equally harsh and 
discordant. It feeds much on the ground or in low bushes, but 
I have seen it working at some height on the rhododendron trees 
near the Shillong Peak. It never seems to descend below 3,000 
feet and is found up to 6,200 feet on the highest peaks. 
(125) Dryonastes cerulatus kaurensis. 
THe Kacuin Httrs Laveuine-Turusu. 
Dryonastes kaurensis Rippon, Bull. B. O. C., xii, p- 18 (1901) 
(Bhamo). 
Vernacular names. Wo-krang-krang-frong (Kachin). 
Description. Differs from D. ¢. subcerulatus in having rufeseent- 
brown ear-coverts. 
Colours of soft parts. “ Orbital skin and naked patch round the 
eye slaty-blue ” (Harington). 
Measurements. Total length about 287 mm.; culmen 26-6 mm.; 
wing 104-6 mm.; tail 115°3 mm.; tarsus 40:6 mm. (Ltippon). 
Distribution. North and Central Kachin Hills. 
Nidification. Harington and Grant found it breeding in the 
Bhamo district in April, May and June. The nest, which is 
generally composed of bamboo leaves and lined with roots, was 
placed either in clumps of hill-bamboo or in high bushes. The 
eggs, two in number, are like those of cerulatus but perhaps 
rather darker. Ten eggs average 30-5 x 21°5 nm. 
