364 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XV 11. 



(1), P. mandellii (Mandelli's Spotted Babbler) (1), Stachyrludcpsis 

 rufifrons (Hume's Babbler) (2), Siachyrls nigrtceps (The Black-tbroatecl 

 Babbler) (1). 



In texture my eggs almost exactly resemble that of the blue egg 

 taken by Col. Rattray, but I have none with the same corrugations, 

 though some of mine have longitudinal furrows, such as his egg shewed. 

 In shape also my eggs agree wall with his, a few of them being rather 

 blunter and shorter, but as a whole they are long pointed ovals with the 

 smaller end decidedly compressed. 



In colour they range from a light tan-brown, through all shades of 

 olive-brown to a deep olive -brown, or rarely a deep olive- chocolate. In 

 size they vary in length between *94" and 1*12" and in breadth between 

 •68" and -75". Thirty eggs average 1'05" by -72". 



As regards these brown eggs all that can be said at present is that 

 very likely they may be those of H. sparveriokles, but that there isas yet 

 no proof that they are, whereas, on the other hand, it is proved that that 

 bird lays blue eggs. 



Dr. Coltart and I have also each got a blue egg in our collections, 

 taken in nests of Garrulax moniliger (The Necklaced Laughing- 

 Thrush), which miy be those of sparverioides ; they are queer, long- 

 elliptical shaped egg?, of the same colour and texture as Col. Rattray's 

 Qggs, having the corrugation even more highly developed, but they are 

 quite different in shape : one of these is shewn in PI. 11., Fig. 11. It 

 measures 1*4" by *78". Yet another egg which may be that of 

 sparverioides is one brought in by Nagas, and which is exactly like a 

 large specimen of C. microplerus. It measures 1*12" by '88", and was 

 found in the nest of Ianthocincla rufigularis (Rufous-chinned Laughing- 

 Thrush). Since this was written, Dr. Coltart has obtained a blue egg 

 of this Hawk-Cuckoo agreeing exactly with Rattray's, except that it is 

 slightly darker and much more poiished than his as might be expected 

 in a recently taken egg. 



Tins fine cuckoo is distributed, according to Blanford, " throughout 

 the Himalayas as far West as Chumba, ascending in summer to ele- 

 vations of 9,000 feet or more : probably scattered here and there over the 

 better wooded parts of the Indian Peninsula in the cdd reason, but 

 only recorded from Raipur in the Central Provinces. Ccn men en the 

 Nilghiris in Southern India, but not observed in the Pidnis, the Tra- 

 vancore Ranges, nor the Ceylon Hills. To the eastward this cuckoo 



