THAEEHALEUS. 113 



The nests that I found in Mandee were large balls of moss, 

 some 7 inches in diameter, wedged into clefts of moss- and fern- 

 covered rocks the one, half under a little cascade, the other 

 about a foot above the water's edge in the side of a rock standing 

 in the midst of a broad deep stream. Each nest had a circular 

 aperture in front, about 2'5 inches in diameter ; the cavity was 

 about 4 inches in diameter, lined with moss-roots in the one nest, 

 and with these and a few dry leaves in the other. Each contained 

 five eggs. Other nests that I have seen were huge globular masses 

 of interwoven moss, nearly a foot in diameter and fully 8 inches 

 high, something like a gigantic \Vren's nest, with a neatly worked 

 circular aperture on one side and an internal cavity, about 4'5 

 inches in diameter and 3 inches high, lined with dry leaves and 

 fern and fine moss-roots. I have never known more than five 

 eggs in a nest. 



Colonel J. Biddulph remarks that this Dipper is " very common" 

 in G-ilgit. " Appears to breed early in March, as full-fledged 

 young were about in the middle of April." 



The eggs which I have obtained, not only from Mandee, but also 

 from the neighbourhood of Simla, Almora, Dhurumsala, and Mus- 

 soorie, are, as a rule, somewhat elongated ovals and pure white in 

 colour, very similar to, but smaller and more elongated than, the 

 majority of eggs of the common European Dipper. The eggs are 

 very soft and satiny in texture, but have very little real gloss. 



Most of the eggs are much pointed towards the small end, but 

 pyriform and obtuse-ended varieties occur. The eggs remind one 

 more of those of the Barbets than of those of the true Thrushes. 



In length they vary from 0*9 to 1*08 inch, and in breadth from 

 0'65 to - 79 inch ; but the average of twenty-two eggs measured 

 is a trifle more than 1-0 by O72 inch. 



Subfamily ACCENTORIN^E. 



718. Tharrhaleus strophiatus (Hodgs.). The Rufous-breasted 

 Accentor. 



Accentor strophiatus, Hodgs., Jerd. B. Ind. ii, p. 287 ; Hume, Rough 

 Draft N. $ E. no. 654. 



The Eufous-breasted Accentor breeds, according to Mr. Hodg- 

 son, from May to August, on the high naked ranges of the Hima- 

 layas, in Sikhim and Nepal. The nest is placed upon the ground, 

 amongst tufts of sunputti grass, and is composed of grass-roots 

 and moss lined with sheep's wool and the hairs of yaks. The nest 

 is a hollow cup ; one measured externally 4*12 in diameter and 2'5 

 in height ; the cavity was 2-62 in diameter and 1-5 in depth. They 

 lay three or four eggs, regular ovals, pure, pale, spotless sky-blue, 

 measuring about O74 by 0'54. 



YOL. II. 8 



