Nidification of Indian Birds. 97 



does not give the impression of being a Babbler's nest at 

 all. 



The eggs, on the other hand, are extremely like large, broad 

 specimens of those of Pellorneum mandellii and P. ruficeps, 

 or, again, like very brown, finely marked eggs of Copsychus 

 and Cittacincla. 



The four eggs from the above nest were in ground-colour 

 very pale yellow stone, and the superior markings consisted 

 of freckles, specks, and tiny blotches of reddish brown ; these 

 were scattered fairly numerously all over the egg, but more 

 thickly towards the larger end, where, in two eggs, they 

 formed a pretty distinct ring and in a third an indefinite 

 cap. The secondary markings were of the same character 

 and distribution, but pale lavender and purple- grey in colour. 

 In one of the eggs of this clutch the secondary markings 

 predominated, the primary being much sparser than they were 

 in the others ; consequently it had rather a grey appearance. 

 All four eggs were broad ovals, having one end not much 

 smaller than the other, with a fine close grain and a distinct 

 gloss. The shells were extremely fragile, as might be 

 expected, for the young were just about to be hatched. 

 They measured '91" by '67". 



Two other eggs brought in by Nagas from the hills beyond 

 Margherita (Assam) were exactly like the others, except 

 that the marks were more numerous and more equally dis- 

 tributed all over the surface. These were taken on the 

 14th of April and were quite fresh. They were fragile, 

 though not nearly so delicate as the hard-set eggs first taken, 

 and had a rather higher glos>. 



They measured "90" by "68" and were shaped exactly like 

 those already described. 



Dr. Coltart has a fine clutch which are intermediate in 

 density of coloratiou between the two in my collection. 

 They are also on average rather larger. 



Only fragments of nests were brought in with these last 

 clutches, so that I can give no description, but, judging 

 from their remains, they agreed better with the nest described 

 in this article than with that formerly described in the 

 < Ibis.' 



SER. VIII. — VOL. VI. H 



