amongst which a few twigs are usually woven ; this is then lined with 

 mud or clay, and is often hard to distinguish from the unfinished nest of 

 the Song Thrush ; the final stage consists in the addition of a thick lining 

 of fine dry grass beautifully finished. It is usually rather a bulky structure, 

 and somewhat flat. 



From four to six eggs are laid, though it is said that even larger clutches 

 are occasionally found. They vary considerably in shape, size, and colour ; some 

 specimens are nearly round, others are oblong, while still others are pear-shaped. 

 The ground-colour is usually a bright bluish green, spotted, streaked, or blotched 

 with rich reddish brown and a few purplish marks. Some specimens have most 

 of the markings arranged in a zone round the larger end of the egg, or collected 

 into a blotch of colour on the top, others are richly blotched with large pale 

 spots, while others again are so thickly spotted as to hide the green of the 

 ground-colour entirely. Clutches are occasionally met with which are spotless, 

 and of a pale bluish green. The eggs vary from I '35 to I 'o inch in length, 

 and from '91 to 78 inch in breadth. Two broods are reared in the year. 



12-3 



