352 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol.XVll. 



pinkish-chocolate egg is, from what we now know, undoubtedly an egg 

 of the pres9nt species. This egg measured *8" by '62" and was found 

 in the nest of Stachyrhidopsis ruficeps (Hume's Babbler). 



Mr. Osmaston, in Darjeeling, found, on the 8th July 1903, a young 

 euckoo in the nest of the same little babbler which he ascribes to polio- 

 cephakts. Unfortunately, a hunt for traces of the egg was unavailing. 



Col. Rattray and Mr. B. B. Osmaston in the same month of 

 1903, took oviduct eggs of this bird. To Mr. Osmaston, however, belongs 

 the honour of being actually the first, as his bird was shot a few days pre- 

 viously to Col. Rattray's first bird. Thus Mr. Osmaston writes :— 

 " With regard to the poliocephalus which laid the pale pinkish-chocolate 

 egg in its death struggles in my hand, the bird was shot, on the 1st 

 June 1903, at an elevation of 7,000, in fairly thick forest." Two other 

 eggs, in every respect identical with that laid by the dying bird, were 

 obtained by the same collector from nests of Drymochares cruralis 

 (the White-^browed iShorfc-wing). The first is that referred to in this 

 Journal, Vol. XI, p. 472, and was taken by Mr. F. Gleadow whilst 

 nesting in the Tons Valley. The egg is described as of an uniform 

 chocolate colour, similar to one of Horomis pallidus (The Pale Bush- 

 Warbler), but lighter in shade and of course much larger. The egg 

 measures '78" by '60", and was taken in June, the 5th. 



The third egg taken by Mr. Osmaston himself on the 15th Dune, 

 1903, was exactly similar to the other, but measured '84" by -58". It 

 was taken at about 7,500' elevation, near Darjeeling, from the nest of a 

 D. cmraHs, which was placed against the face of a vertical rock. This 

 eo-ff and the skin of the bird which laid a similar egg in Mr. Osmaston's 

 hand were both sent me for inspection. The skin is without doubt that 

 of C. poliocephalus, and the eggs may be described as follows : — 



In colour they are a beautiful pink-chocolate, more the colour of 

 Cettia eggs than that of any other eggs known to me, but rather deeper 

 in colour, and, when very closely looked into, it is seen that there 

 is a very faint powdering with a deeper tint of the same colour. In 

 shape the eggs are long, perfect ellipses, equal at either end, and the 

 texture is very fine and close, the surface extremely smooth and like 

 satin to the touch. The shell is decidedly fragile. 



In 1893 I took four cuckoos' eggs in North Cachar, which, I now 

 think, must belong to this species ; they are very much faded since they 

 were taken, but otherwise agree very well with Mr. Osmaston V eggs. 



