280 Mr. E. C. Stuart Baker on the 



The eggs measure from "65 to •(!(! in. in length and from 

 '49 to "51 in. in breadth. In shape they are broad ovals, 



\\ ith very obtuse smaller ends. 



IIS. ( )i(i,ieoi,A JERDONI. 

 Oales, V. B. Ind. ii. p. (\(\. 



.lerdon's Bush-Chat was common in North Cachar and 

 Undoubtedly bred in the high grass-covered lulls to t lie north 

 of the district, but I never succeeded in finding its nest, or in 

 obtaining any birds which shewed that they were, without 



doubt, breeding in the place where they occurred. 



In April 1904, when touring in the north of Lakhimpur, 

 I found these birds extremely numerous in the wide grass- 

 plains running along the loot of the hills; they were present 

 literally in hundreds and soon shewed by t heir act inns that 



they were breeding. A Miri, who was with me, told me 



that he Knew of a patch of grass where they nested, and we 



accordingly went to a "wide grass-plain, about two miles across, 



covered with sun-grass some I'our feet high, and situated, in 



a bee-line, about eight miles from the nearesl hills. Merc 

 I'our of us hunted hard for about four hours, but, though there 

 were many birds and they were undoubtedly engaged in nest- 

 ing, we could not lind a, single nest. At last, ;is work called 

 me back to camp, I called a halt, and we all returned to the 

 road. As we reached it, my loot struck a tuft of grass and 



out Hew a female 0. jerdoni, and on looking down and parting 



the grass we found the much SOUghl for prize, a nest with 

 Eour eggs. It should be explained that the road was nothing 

 but a wide track through the grass-plain, covered with short 

 grass and wit h tufts of stubbly sun-grass dot ted about its sur- 

 face. In one of these tul'is at (lie edge of the road the nest 

 was placed, right in amongst the roots, which appeared to 



have been worked out by t lie birds to form a hole in which it 

 could be placed. Until the roots were torn on one side and 

 the tangle of grass parted, nothing could be seen, except the 



cuter m\<j;v of the nest. This was a compact little cup, 

 made entirely of black roots and coarse black fibres and 

 lined with fine grasses and grass-roots. It was so well put 



