Nidification of Indian Birds. 101 



The nest, so far as we could gather from the remains 

 brought in — one was in a fairly complete condition — and 

 from what the Nagas tell us, is a very bulky affair, more 

 like the nests of the Pomatorhhii than those of any other 

 birds, but it differs in having twigs, leaves, and a few other 

 materials mixed with the gra^s and bamboo-leaves of which 

 it is mainly composed. It appears to be globular in shape, 

 having the entrance near the bottom on one side, and, 

 according to the collectors, is placed on the ground. 



The eggs could not, 1 think, be discriminated from small 

 specimens of those of the Pomatorbine Babblers. They are 

 pure white, very smooth and fine in texture, and decidedly 

 fragile — more so, perhaps, than are Pomatorhine eggs of 

 corresponding size. They have a faint gloss, rather more 

 developed in some specimens than in others, but in none of 

 them very highly. 



My eggs are broad ovals in shape, three with the small end 

 very little smaller than the other and very blunt, and the 

 fourth with the small end rather compressed and pointed. 

 They measure -91" by -62", -88" by -65", -86" by -63", and 

 •83" by -62". 



From what we know of the bird at present, it probably 

 breeds in May and early June in the valleys of the higher 

 mountains. Godwin-Austen seems to have discovered it 

 on Manbhoon Tila, a mountain of some 10,000 feet in height 

 on the north of the Brahmaputra; but from what we can 

 learn it haunts the valleys between the lofty ranges, nut 

 ascending the mountains themselves, and probably seldom 

 extending above 5000 feet. It is said to breed in forest 

 ravines and to have a chucking call like that of the Laughing- 

 Thrushes, but not to go about in flocks. 



84. Rhopocichla bourdilloni. 



Blanford, F. B. Ind. i. p. 161 ; Ferguson, B. N. H. S. J. 



xv. p. 260. 



Mr. Ferguson, quoting Mr. T. F. Bourdillon, records : — 



"I once had the nest of this bird brought to me witli the bird 



itself, and have since twice taken the nest myself. In the last 



