48 CRATEROPODIDtf!. 



in May, June, and July, at elevations of from 2000 to fully 4000 feet, 

 and in one case it is said 5000. They are all very similar, large, 

 very shallow cups, from 6 to nearly 8 inches in external diameter, 

 and from 2*5 to 3'5 in height ; exteriorly all are composed of coarse 

 grass, of bamboo-spathes, with occasionally a few dead leaves 

 intermingled, loosely wound round with creepers or pliant twigs, 

 while interiorly they are composed and lined with black, only 

 moderately fine roots or pliant flower-stems of some flowering-tree, 

 or both. Sometimes the exterior coating of grass is not very 

 coarse ; at other times bamboo-spathes exclusively are used, and 

 the nest seems to be completely packed up in these. 



The eggs of this species are broad ovals, pure white and glossy. 

 They vary from 1-05 to 1-13 in length, and from 0-86 to 0-95 in 

 width, but the average of eighteen eggs is a little over I'l by 0'9. 



70. Garrulax belangeri, Less. The Burmese White-crested 

 Laughing -Thrush. 



Garrulax belangeri, Less., Hume, Cat. no. 407 bis. 



Mr. Gates, who found the nest of this bird many years ago in 

 Burma, has the following note: "Nest in a bush a few feet from the 

 ground, on the 8th June, near Pegu. In shape hemispherical, the 

 foundation being of small branches and leaves of the bamboo, and 

 the interior and sides of small branches of the coarser weeds and 

 fine twigs. The latter form the egg-chamber lining and are nicely 

 curved. Exterior and interior diameters respectively 7 and 3| 

 inches. Total depth 3| and interior depth 2 inches. Three eggs, 

 pure white and highly glossy, and they measure 1-14 by -87, I'l 

 by -88, and 1-03 by -86." 



The nests of this species are large, loosely constructed cups, 

 much resembling those of its Himalayan congeners. The base and 

 sides consist chiefly of dry bamboo-leaves with a few dead tree-leaves 

 scantily held together by a few creepers, while the interior portion 

 of the nest, which has no separate lining, is composed of fine twigs 

 and stems of herbaceous plants and the slender flower-stems of 

 trees which bear their flowers in clusters. The nests vary a good 

 deal in exterior dimensions as the materials straggle far and wide 

 in some cases, and the external diameter may be said to vary from 

 6 to 8 inches, and the height from 3*25 to 4-5 ; the cavities are more 

 uniform in size, and are about 3'5 in diameter by 2 in depth. 



The eggs are moderately broad ovals, at' times somewhat 

 pointed perhaps towards the small end, pure white and fairly 

 glossy. 



Major C. T. Bingham thus writes of this bird : " It is very diffi- 

 cult to either watch these birds, unseen yourself, at one of their 

 dancing parties, or to catch one of them actually sitting on the 

 nest. Twice had I in the end of March this year come across nests 

 with one or two of these birds in the vicinity, and yet have had to 

 leave the eggs in them as uncertain to what bird they belonged. 



