CEINIGEE. 163 



Subfamily BRACHYPODIN^E. 

 263. Criniger flaveolus (Gould). The White-throated Bulbul. 



Criniger flaveolus (Gould), Jerd. B. Ind. ii, p. 83; Hume, Rough 

 Draft N.&E. no. 451. 



A nest of this species sent me from Darjeeling was found in 

 July, at an elevation of about 3000 feet. 



It was placed on the branches of a medium-sized tree, at a height 

 of only about 5 feet from the ground. 



The nest was a compact, rather shallow saucer, 5'5 inches in 

 diameter and about 2 inches in height externally. The cavity was 

 about 3*5 in diameter and an inch in depth. The greater portion 

 of the nest was composed of dead leaves bound together tirmly by 

 fine brown roots ; inside the leaves was just a lining of rather coarser 

 brown roots, and again an inner lining of black horsehair-like roots 

 and fine stems of the maiden-hair fern. 



The nest contained three fresh eggs. These eggs vary from 

 broad to somewhat elongated ovals, are more or less pointed towards 

 the small end, and exhibit a fine gloss. 



The ground is a beautiful salmon-pink, and it is thinly spotted, 

 blotched, and marked with irregular lines of deep maroon-red. 

 Most of the markings in one egg are gathered into a very irregular 

 straggling zone round the large end, and the other egg exhibits 

 a tendency to form a similar zone. Besides these primary markings 

 a few spots and clouds of dull purple, looking as if beneath the 

 surface of the shell, are thinly scattered about the egg, chiefly in 

 the neighbourhood of the zone. 



These eggs vary from 0*9 to 1/0 in length, and from 0'7 to 0*72 

 in breadth. 



Several nests of this species sent me by the late Mr. Mandelli and 

 obtained by him in British and Native Sikhirn during July and the 

 early part of August are all precisely of the same type. They each 

 contained two fresh eggs ; they were all placed in the branches of 

 small trees in the midst of dense brushwood or heavy jungle, at 

 heights of from 4 to 10 feet from the ground. The nests are 

 broad and saucer-like, nearly 5 inches in diameter, but not much 

 above 2 in height externally ; the cavities average about 3-25 in dia- 

 meter and about 1 in depth. The body of the nest is composed of 

 dead leaves, the sides are more or less felted round with rich brown 

 fibrous, almost wool-like roots ; inside the leaves fine twigs and 

 stems of herbaceous plants, all of a uniform brown tint, are wound 

 round and round, apparently to keep the leaves in their places 

 interiorly, and then the cavity is lined with jet-black horsehair- 



" On rare occasions I have noticed a greenish tinge in very fresh eggs. This, 

 I think, is due to the colour of the inner membrane, which is generally a very 

 light green, in some very faint and in others more decided ; this tinge seems to 

 disappear after the egg is blown. 



" Very rough measurements are as follows : 0'9x0'63 ; 0-83x0-63 ; 0'83x 

 0-6; 0-83x0-66; 0'86x0'66." 



11* 



