132 CRATEROPODLD^:. 



where the markings are nearly confluent, with bright red, and 

 measuring O72 by 0-54 inch. 



202. Olignra castaneicoronata (Burt.). The Chestnut-headed 

 Short-iuing. 



Tesia castaneo-coronata (Burt.), Jerd. B. Lid. \, p. 487 j Hume, 

 Rough Draft N. $ E. no. 327. 



According to Mr. Hodgson's notes and figures, the Chestnut- 

 headed Short-wing builds a large globular nest, more or less egg- 

 shaped, some 6 inches high and 4 in breadth, composed of moss- 

 roots and fibres, and lined with feathers, and with a circular aper- 

 ture in the middle of one side about 1*5 inch in diameter. The 

 nest is placed in some clump of shoots or thick bush (the twigs of 

 which are more or less incorporated in the sides of the nest) at a 

 height of 1 or 2 feet from the ground. The birds lay in April and 

 May three or four eggs, which are figured as moderately broad ovals, 

 somewhat pointed at one end, reddish (apparently something like 

 a Prinia's, though this seems incredible), and measuring 0-66 by 

 0-48 inch. 



Dr. Jerdon says : " A nest made chiefly of moss, with four small 

 white eggs, was brought me as the nest of this bird. It was of 

 the ordinary shape, rather loosely put together, and the walls of 

 great thickness. It was taken from the ground on a steep bank 

 near the stump of a tree." 



The three eggs in my museum supposed to belong to this species 

 pertained to this nest, and are excessively tiny, somewhat oval eggs 

 of a pure, dull, glossless unspotted white, very unlike our English 

 Wren's egg and certainly not one half the size. Dr. Jerdon was 

 not quite certain to which species of Tesia these eggs belonged, and 

 I therefore only record this " quantum valeat." They measure 0-55 

 and O6 inch in length by 0*4, 0-42, and O45 inch in breadth. I 

 am inclined to believe that both nest and eggs belonged to Pnoe- 

 pyfja pusilla, Hodgs. 



Subfamily SIBIIN^l. 

 203. Sibia picaoides, Hodgs. The Long-tailed SiUa. 



Sibia picaoides, Hodgs., Jerd. E. Ind. ii, p. 55 j Hume. Rough Draft 

 N. | E. no. 430. 



Mr. Gammie obtained a nest of the Long-tailed Sibia from the 

 top of a tall tree, situated at an elevation of about 4000 feet, in 

 the neighbourhood of Eungbee, near Darjeeling. This was on the 

 17th June, and the nest contained five fresh eggs. The nest is as 

 perplexing as are the eggs ; for the nest is that of a Bulbul, the 

 eggs those of a Shrike or Minivet. The nest is a deep compact 

 cup, about 4 j inches in diameter and 2 j inches in depth. The 

 egg-cavity is 3 inches across and fully 1| inch in depth. Interiorly 

 the iiest is composed of excessively fine grass-stems very firmly 



