2G0 Mr. E. C. Stuart Baker on the 



very fine and close, and there is an appreciable amount of 

 gloss on the shell, which is stout for so tiny an egg. 



The birds seem to lay from the beginning of June to late 

 in August, and the full complement of eggs is four. 



98. ACANTHOPNEUSTE MAGNIROSTR1S. 



Oates, F. B. Ind. i. p. 415; Buchanan, B. N. II. S. J. 

 xii. j). 777 ; Whvmper, ibid. xv. p. 521. 



The Large-billed Willow- Warbler had long been known to 

 breed in Kashmir, but it was not until 1899 that its nest 

 was taken. In that year Major Buchanan sent a bird for 

 my identification which he had shot off its nest and which 

 proved to be of this species. The nest was taken at Changla 

 Gali, about ten miles from Murree, at an elevation of some 

 8500 feet. 



Buchanan thus describes the nest : — " The female was shot 

 off the nest, which was a large, loosely-made, domed structure 

 of moss and maiden-hair stems, lined with fine grass. It 

 was situated under an overhanging bank, on the side of 

 a steep, wooded hill, supported by the projecting root of a 

 tree. The nest contained four fresh pure white eggs, average 

 length -72 and breadth "51 inch." 



Mr. S. L. Whymper, in another number of the same 

 journal, also records his experience. The first nest taken by 

 him " was entirely of moss with a very slight lining of hair 

 and domed, although placed well inside a hole in a tree, 

 about ten feet up. There were four fresh eggs, pure white." 

 Afterwards he found two more nests in precisely similar 

 positions. 



Rattray, Ward, and others have also taken the nests of 

 this Warbler. It seems to be always made mainly of moss, 

 but sometimes to have fern-roots and maiden-hair stems 

 mixed with it. The lining may be of fine grasses, fern- 

 roots, or hair, but 1 have never heard of a lining of feathers. 

 The normal complement of eggs is four, but rarely five are 

 laid. They are always pure white with a high gloss. The 

 shell is stout and fine-grained. In shape the eggs are broad 

 ovals, not much compressed towards the smaller end, but in a 

 few cases some of mine are rather lengthened and pointed. 



