DRYOXASTES. 143 



Colours of soft parts and Measurements as in D. c, ccerulatus. 

 Distribution. Khasia Hills only. 



Nidification. The Shillong Laughing-Thrush breeds in May and 

 June in the pine-forests between 4,000 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 arid, 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 ccerulatus, 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 

 Dn/onastes, but it has the same habit of wandering about in flocks 

 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 cserulatus kaurensis. 

 THE KACHIN HILLS LAUGHING-THRUSH. 



Diyonasf.es kaurensis Rippon, Bull. B. O. C., xii, p. ]3 (1901) 

 (Bhamo). 



Vernacular names. Wo-Jcrang-7crang-frony (Kachin). 



Description. Differs from D. c. subccerulatus in having rufescent- 

 '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. (Rippon). 



Distribution. North and Central Kachin Hills. 



Nidification. Harington and Grant found it breeding in the 

 Bhauio 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 c&rulatiis but perhaps 

 rather darker. Ten eggs average 30'5 x 21-5 mm. 



