336 LANIIDvE. 



slightly broader oval than those of any of our true Shrikes, but 

 elongated and pointed examples occur. Their ground-colour is a 

 very pale greyish white, thickly spotted all over the large end, 

 and thickly dotted elsewhere, with specks, spots, and tiny blotches 

 of pale yellowish brown and pale inky-purple. Compared with 

 the eggs of the other Pericrocoti, they are very dingily coloured. 

 The eggs are devoid of gloss. I am doubtful about these eggs. 



In length they vary from 0-88 to 0-93 inch, and in breadth 

 from 072 to 075 inch ; but the average of five eggs is 0-9 by 072 

 inch. 



494. Pericrocotus flammeus (Forst.). The Orange Minivet. 



Pericrocotus flammeus (Forst.), Jerd. B. Ind. \, p. 420; Hume, 

 Rough Draft N. $ E. no. 272. 



The Orange Minivet lays, I believe, in June and July on the 

 Nilghiris. I have never taken a nest myself, but I have received 

 several, with a few words in regard to them, from Miss 

 Cockburn. 



The nests are comparatively massive little cups placed on, or 

 sometimes in, the forks of slender boughs. They are usually com- 

 posed of excessively fine twigs, the size of fir-needles, and they are 

 densely plastered over the whole exterior surface with greenish- 

 grey lichen, so closely and cleverly put together that the side of 

 the nest looks exactly like a piece of a lichen-covered branch. 

 There appears to be no lining, and the eggs are laid on the fine 

 little twigs which compose the body of the nest. 



The nests are externally from 3 to 3 5 inches in diameter, and 

 about 1^ inch deep, with an egg-cavity about 2 inches in diameter 

 and about | inch in depth. Some, however, when placed in a fork 

 are much deeper and narrower, say externally 2| inches in diame- 

 ter and the same height ; the egg-cavity about If inch in diameter 

 and 1| inch in depth. 



Miss Cockburn notes that one nest was found on the 24th of 

 June on a high tree, the nest being placed on a thin branch between 

 30 or 40 feet from the ground. It contained a single fresh egg, 

 which was broken in the fall of the branch, which had to be cut. 

 This egg, the remains of which were sent me, had a pale greenish 

 ground, and was pretty thickly streaked and spotted, most thickly 

 so at the large end, with pale yellowish brown and pale rather 

 dingy-purple, the latter colour predominating. 



Another egg which she subsequently sent me, obtained on the 

 17th of July, is a 'regular, moderately elongated oval, a little 

 pointed towards one end. The shell is fine, but glossless. The 

 ground is a delicate pale sea-green or greenish white, and it is 

 rather sparsely spotted and speckled with pale yellowish brown. 

 Only one or two purplish-grey specks are to be detected on this 

 egg ; it measures 0-9 by 0'67. 



