292 SYLVIIDjE. 



egg of this type. At the same time Mr. Swinhoe (' Ibis/ 1860, 

 p. 50) tells us that P. sonitans also at times exhibits a reddish- 

 white egg ; so I do not for a moment question that Dr. Jerdon had 

 seen such eggs, only it must be understood that, so far from con- 

 stituting the usual type, it is in reality a most abnormal and rare 

 variety. Out of eight correspondents who have collected for me 

 in Southern India, I cannot learn that any one has ever yet even 

 seen an egg of this type. 



As regards the nest, this species often constructs a Tailor- 

 bird nest, the true nest being filled in between two or more leaves 

 carefully stitched together to the nest ; but it also, like that 

 species, often builds a very different structure. 



A nest now before me, sent from Conoor, is a loosely-made 

 cup a very slight fabric of grass-stems, matted with a quantity of 

 the downy seed of some flowering grass and with a lining of fine 

 grass-roots. It is an irregular cup about 2^ inches in diameter 

 and 2 inches in depth. 



Four seems to be the regular number of the eggs. 



From Kotagherry Miss Cockburn writes that " the Ashy Wren- 

 Warbler builds a neat little hanging nest very much in the Tailor- 

 bird style, for it draws the leaves of the branch on which the nest 

 is constructed close together, and sews them so tightly as some- 

 times to make them nearly touch each other, while a small quantity 

 of fine grass, wool, and the down of seed-pods is used as a lining 

 and also placed between the leaves. These nests are built very 

 low, and contain three beautiful little bright red eggs, a shade 

 darker at the thick end. They are easily discovered ; for the birds 

 get so agitated if any one approaches the bush on which they liavc 

 built that they invariably attract one to the very spot they most 

 wish to conceal. They build in the months of June and July." 



Mr. Davison says : " This bird breeds on the Nilghiris in 

 March, April, and May, and sometimes as late as the earlier part 

 of June. The nest is generally placed low down near the roots of 

 a bush or tuft of grass. It is made of grass beautifully and closely 

 woven, domed, and with the entrance near the top. The eggs, 

 three or four in number, are of a deep brick- red, darker at the 

 larger end, where there is generally a zone, and are very glossy. 

 I once obtained a nest made of grass and bits of cotton, but instead 

 of being built as above described it was placed between, and sewn 

 to, two leaves of the Datura stramonium. It contained three eggs 

 of a deep brick-red ; in fact, precisely like those described above." 



Mr. Wait tells us that " in September I found two nests, the 

 one deeply cup-shaped, the other domed, both constructed of 

 similar materials. The latter of the two was placed at the bottom 

 of a large bunch of lemon-grass, and was constructed of root-fibre 

 and grass, grass-bents, and down of thistle and hawkweed, all inter- 

 mixed. Exteriorly it measured between 3 and 4 inches in diameter. 

 The nests contained three and five eggs, all highly glossy and of a 

 deep brownish-red, deeper than brick- red, mottled with a still 

 deeper shade." 



