PITTA. 281 



Pitta nepalensis (Hoclgs.). The Blue-naped Pitta. 



Hydrornis nipalensis. Hoclys., Jerd. B. 2nd. i, p. 502 : Hume, Eonah 

 Draft N. $ E. no. 344. 



I myself obtained an egg of the Blue-naped Pitta at Darjeeling, 

 on the 19th May, 1872, from a place about 4000 feet high below 

 Lebong. The nest was a mass of grass and leaves placed on the 

 ground at the roots of a bush. The old bird was caught by the 

 hand on the nest, and proved to be the female. The nest contained 

 three hard-set eggs, or which I only succeeded in preserving two 

 in a very shattered condition ; in fact, the young were ready to 

 hatch off. These two eggs measure 1*2 inch by 0*97 inch, and 1'3 

 inch by 1 inch. They are consequently very broad oval eggs with 

 a very glossy white ground, like white china, somewhat thinly 

 spotted and speckled with pale inky purple and purplish maroon. 



From Sikhim, Mr. Grammie writes : "This species breeds about 

 the end of May and during June. I took two nests of it in the 

 Government Cinchona reserves, at 5000 feet above the sea, on the 

 10th June, one containing three, and the other four hard-set eggs. 

 Both were among dense scrub, and placed, about 5 feet from the 

 ground, on almost level platforms formed by several leafy branches 

 being bent down, one on the top of the other (naturally, not by the 

 bird) to a horizontal position. The larger of these tables was 

 about 4 feet square, and the smaller half that size. A considerable 

 quantity of large leaves and rotten sticks had first been collected 

 in a heap near the middle of the table, and afterwards the nest 

 built on this heap. The nest was hooded, with entrance at side, 

 and measured externally (exclusive of foundation- heap) 7*75 inches 

 in height by 9 inches in breadth ; internally the cavity measured 

 5-5 inches in diameter by about 1 inch in depth from lower edge 

 of entrance, which was 3-75 inches in diameter. The nest was 

 made of fern -fronds, bamboo and other leaves, and lined on the 

 top and sides with dry bamboo-leaves and in the bottom with black 

 fibry roots. The materials were so very rotten, and so loosely put 

 together, that the nest would scarcely bear handling, but untouched 

 it appeared solid and comfortable enough. In both cases the 

 entrance faced the only open part of the scrub by which the 

 nest could be approached, so that the sitting-birds could see, 

 and leave the nest at, the first signal of danger. When disturbed, 

 they alighted on the ground a few yards off, and then quickly 

 disappeared in the scrub with long bounding hops. One I 

 watched soon came back in the same hopping style, stopping 

 every few yards and stretching its neck to the utmost to see if the 

 way was clear. Altogether the nests were extraordinary-looking 

 structures in extraordinary positions. It appears to me that their 

 normal position is on the ground, but that when the birds can find 

 such natural, elevated surfaces to place their nests on, they have 

 sense enough to take advantage of the circumstance, instead of 

 confining themselves to the regular groove." 



