270 SYLVIIJXE. 



434. Cryptolopha xanthoschista (Hodgs.). Ho. If/son's 



Grey-headed Flycatcher- Warbler. 



Abrornis albosuperciliaris, JBlyth, Jerd. JB. Ind. ii, p. 202 ; Hum?, 

 Rouyli Draft N. $ E. no. 573. 



Throughout the Himalayas south of the first snowy ranges, and 

 in all wooded valleys in rear of these, from Darjeeling to Murree, 

 this Warbler appears to be a permanent resident. 



I have received its nests and eggs from several sources, and have 

 taken them in the Sutlej and Beas Valleys myself. They lay in 

 the last week of March, and throughout April and May, con- 

 structing a large globular nest of moss, more or less mingled 

 exteriorly with dry grass and lined thinly with goat's hair, and then 

 in?ide this thickly with the softest wool or, in one nest that 

 I found, with the inner downy fur of hares. The entrance to the 

 nest is sometimes on one side, sometimes almost at the top, and is 

 rather large for the size of the bird. The nest is almost without 

 exception placed on a grassy bank, at the foot of some small bush, 

 and usually contains four eggs. 



Talking of this species, and writing from Almorah on the 17th 

 May, Mr. Brooks said : " I have just taken a nest. It was placed 

 on a sloping bank-side near the foot of a small bush. The bank 

 was overgrown with grass. The nest, which was on the ground, 

 was a large ball-shaped one, composed of very coarse grass, moss- 

 roots, and wool, and lined with hair and wool. It contained four 

 pure white glossy eggs, which were much pointed at the small end. 

 I shot the bird off the nest. 1 had already frequently met with 

 fully-grown young birds of this species." 



Writing from Dhurmsala, Captain Cock remarked : " On the 

 8th April I found a nest of this species containing four white 

 eggs ; it was placed on the ground, under a bush, on a steep bank. 

 The nest was globular, with rather a large entrance-hole, and was 

 made of moss, with dry grass outside, then black hair of goats, and 

 thickly lined with the softest of wool : no feathers in the nest. I 

 caught the bird on the nest ; it is common here." 



Colonel G. F. L. Marshall tells us : " A nest found on the 

 22nd May at Naini Tal, about 7000 feet above the sea, contained 

 three hard-set eggs. The eggs were pure white. The nest was a 

 most beautiful little structure of moss, lined with wool ; it was 

 globular, with the entrance at one side, and placed on a bank 

 among some ground-ivy, the outer part of the nest having a few 

 broad grass-blades interwoven so as to assimilate the appearance 

 of the nest to that of the bank against which it lay. It was at the 

 side of a narrow glen with a northern aspect, and about four feet 

 above the pathway, close to the spring from which my bhisti daily 

 draws water, the bird sitting fearlessly while passed and repassed 

 by people going down the glen within a foot or two of the 

 nost." 



The eggs are pure white, and generally fairly glossy. In texture 



