RIMATOR. ALCIPPE. 41 



Genus RIMATOR, Blyth. 



Rimator malacoptilus, Blyth. 



(Plate II. fig. 14.) 



Rimator malacoptilus, Sharpe, Cat Birds B. M. vii. p. 594 (1883) ; 

 Oates, Fauna Brit. Ind., Birds, i. p. 175 (1889) ; Stuart-Baker, 

 Journ. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc. xiii. p. 404 (1901) j Sharpe, Hand-l. 

 iv. p. 43 (1903). 



The eggs of the Long-billed Babbler are of a regular oval form, 

 and are quite devoid of gloss. The ground is white, and this is 

 sparingly marked with three kinds of markings : roundish spots of 

 an intensely dark reddish brown ; small blotches and smears of a 

 pink colour ; and specks and spots of underlying pale purple. 

 Round the larger end of the egg, all three kinds of markings are 

 rather thickly clustered together and form a pretty zone ; on the 

 other parts of the egg the markings are very spare. Three eggs 

 measure respectively : -86 by '6 ; -84 by '62 ; -8 by -62. 



3. Sikhim. J. Gammie, Esq. [P.], 



Genus ALCIPPE, Blyth. 



Alcippe nipalensis (Hodys.}. 

 (Plate IV. figs. 1-4.) 



Alcippe nipalensis, Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. M. vii. p. 620 (1883) ; Nehrk. 



Kat. Eiersamml. p. 65 (1899) ; Sharpe, Hand-l. iv. p. 43 (1903). 

 Alcippe nepalensis, Gates, Fauna Brit. Ind., Birds, i. p. 157 (1889) ; id. 



ed. Hume, Nests $ Eggs Ind. Birds, i. p. 104 (1889). 



The eggs of the Nepal Babbler differ in form from a broad to 

 a regular oval, and have a considerable amount of gloss. The 

 colouring of the eggs presents much variation, and four types 

 appear to be contained in the Collection. In the first the ground 

 is white and this is sparingly marked with a few specks of rich 

 maroon-brown, except at the larger end, where there are some 

 spots, clouds, and lines of the same colour, forming a cap. In the 

 second, the ground is pinkish white, more or less heavily blotched 

 towards the larger end with brownish lake interspersed with spots 

 of dark brown, with some smaller and lighter markings of similar 

 colouring irregularly distributed over the rest of the egg. In the 

 third type, the ground is pale salmon-pink, and nearly the whole 

 egg is covered with clouds and blotches of reddish chestnut, brighter 

 in tint in some eggs than in others, overlaid with some spots of 

 dark brown. In the fourth the ground is also salmon-pink, and 

 the whole egg is rather closely covered with specks and small 

 streaks of pale rufous, which are denser at the larger end of the egg 

 than elsewhere. In all the foregoing types there are always a 



