GEOCICHLA. 97 



16th May, near Nyuee Tal, on the top of the Aya-pata, at an eleva- 

 tion of about 7500 feet above the level of tbe sea, in a small shrubby 

 tree. The nest was placed in a fork about 7 feet from the ground ; 

 it was made of moss with a few roots intertwined, small, cup- 

 shaped, and only concealed by its likeness to a slight swelling at 

 the fork. Rather a disreputable structure and difficult to take out, 

 as it consisted chiefly of materials placed in the spaces between 

 the three branches, the cavity being lined with moss." 



The eggs of this species vary much in shape. Some are very 

 round ; others are a rather elongated oval ; but generally there is 

 a tendency to a pyriforin shape, there being a slight compression 

 near the small end. The ground-col oiy is greenish or greyish 

 white, and the whole surface is more or less thickly streaked, or 

 irregularly blotched with dull brownish red. In some cases the 

 markings are comparatively few and far between, the ground-colour 

 greatly predominating, except at the larger end : while in others 

 the markings are so densely crowded, that the ground-colour only 

 shows through here and there, as a pale mottling on a red ground. 

 In all, however, the markings are densest at the large end. The 

 egs are a shade longer, but even less glossy than those of Geo- 

 cichla citrina. 



In some eggs the red is brighter and purpler, and some exhibit 

 a very conspicuous zone round the large end. In some eggs the 

 markings, with the exception of the zone at the large end, are very 

 fine frecklings, almost speckly in their character. 



In length the eggs vary from 0-92 to 1-17 inch, and in breadth 

 from 0-7 to 0-83 inch ; but the average of twenty eggs is 1*06 by 

 0-78 inch. 



683. Geocichla wardi (Jerd.). The Pied Ground-Thrush. 



Turdulus wardi (Jerd.}, Jerd. B. Ind. i, p. 520. 



Cichloselys wardii (Jerri.), Hume, Rough Draft N. fy E. no. 857. 



Of the Pied Ground-Thrash Captain Hutton writes to me from 

 Mussoorie as follows : " This curiously-pied Thrush arrives at 

 Jeripanee, at 5500 feet, from the southward early in April, and is 

 then far from rare, but retires again when the breeding-season is 

 over. It breeds in June and July, making a pretty nest of green 

 mosses and fibres like Geocichla unicolor, placed on the bifurcate 

 branch of a tall tree, and the eggs both in size and colour might 

 easily be mistaken for those of that bird." 



Of this species Mr. Hodgson notes : " I procured a female and 

 nest at Jaharpowah on the 15th May. This species breeds in 

 trees, fixing the nest in the fork of large branches ; this present 

 nest is about 6*25 inches in external diameter, and 2'5 in height ; 

 the cavity is 3'5 inches in diameter by less than 2 in depth. It is 

 made of moss and lined with elastic, thin grass-roots, which keep 

 it well in shape ; the eggs are four in number, pale verditer, spotted 

 with sanguine brown." The eggs as figured measure about 1-06 

 inch in length and 0'76 in width. 



VOL. II. 



