DKYOXASTES. 



(120) Dryonastes ruficollis. 

 THE EUFOUS-NECKED LAUGHHS T G-THBUSH. 



lanthocincla ruficollis Jurcl. & Selby, 111. Orn., 2nd series, pi. 2} 



(Himalayas). 

 Dryonastes riificollis. Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 73. 



Vernacular names. Pobduya,Hath Gurri-gurri(Eeng.): Hapclien- 

 pho (Lepcha); Doopooleeka (Assam); Dao-popalilca (Cachari). 



Description. Crown and nape si at j -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 ot 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 rum.; 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 Eufous - 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 

 blue or practically white, the latter being rare. 200 eggs average 

 257 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 long 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 

 shriek?, 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 



