ABBORKES. 273 



of white, satiny seed-down, densely felted together to the thickness 

 of half an inch. The lower part, sides, and back very thinly, and 

 the upper portion and the margin of the mouth of the pocket 

 thickly, coated with excessively fine green moss and very fine soft 

 vegetable fibre. 



My sole reason for doubting the authenticity of the nest is that 

 another precisely similar one was sent me by another collector, a 

 European, as belonging to an ^Ethopyya, together with the female 

 which he shot off the nest. 



The present nest contained a pure white egg ; the other spotted 

 eggs. Both collectors I have no doubt were fully assured of the 

 correctness of their identification, and it may be that both species 

 of birds construct similar nests ; but I entertain considerable 

 doubts on this subject, and think it right to note the fact. 



The egg is a very broad oval, pure white, and very glossy, and 

 measures 0-6 by 0-49. 



Mr. Mandelli sends me a lovely nest, which he says belongs to 

 this species. It was found in May in Native Sikhim, at about 

 12,000 feet elevation. It was suspended from the tiny branch of 

 a tree at a height of about 8 feet from the ground. The nest is a 

 perfect watch-pocket, composed entirely of white silky down 

 belonging to one of the bombaxes, thinly coated here and there 

 with strings of moss to keep it together, and more thickly so with 

 this and vegetable fibre at and about the point of suspension and 

 round the rim of the mouth of the pocket. The nest is altogether 

 about 6 inches long and about 3 inches in diameter at its broadest ; 

 the lower edge of the aperture into the pocket is 2 inches from the 

 bottom of the nest, and the aperture is about 2 inches wide. It is 

 altogether one of the loveliest nests I have ever seen : but I cannot 

 feel certain that the nest really belongs to this species ; for 

 I have had a precisely similar nest, also found in Sikhim, on the 

 20th May, similarly suspended at a height of about 5 feet from the 

 ground, sent me as belonging to another species of Abrornis ; and 

 though Mr. Mandelli is usually right, I think the matter requires 

 further confirmation. 



440. Abrornis superciliaris, Tick. The Yellow -bellied Fly catcher- 

 Warbler. 

 Abrornis flaviventris, Jerd. B. Ind. ii, p. 203. 



Writing from Tenasserim, Major T. 0. Bingham says : 



" I have shot this bird on the Zainmee choung, where I got a nest 

 with eggs ; and I have more than once seen it in the Thoungyeen 

 forests. 



" The following is an account of the nest I found, recorded in my 

 note-book : 



"Khasat village Khasat choung, Zammee river, 9th March, 

 1878. My camp to-day was pitched in the midst of a dense 

 bamboo-break, close to a path leading to the village. 



VOL. i. 18 



