690 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVII. 



Wen., ibid., p. 79 ; Ball, ibid*, p. 207 ; Cripps, ibid., p. 265 ; Legge, B. 

 of Ceylon, p. 246 ; Davis., S. F., X, p. 360 ; Oates, B. of Burm., II, 

 p. 118 ; id., Hume's Nests and Eggs, II, p. 388 ; Barnes, B. of Bom., 

 p. 129 ; Shelly, Cat. B. M., XIX, p. 217 ; Stuart Baker, Jour. Bom. 

 N. H. Soe., X, p. 368 ; Nehrkorn, Cat. Eier., p. 170 ; Blanford, Fauna 

 B. I., Ill, p. 225 ; Reid, Cat. Eggs B. M., Ill, p. 103. 



The eggs of this species are well known, several oviduct eggs having 

 been obtained by Mr. A. G. R. Theobald, who was apparently the first 

 to obtain one, Col. Marshall, Mr. Davidson, Col. Bingham, Mr. E. H. 

 Aitken and Mr. Charles Inglis. 



An oviduct egg I owe to the last mentioned was taken from a female 

 shot on the 10th June, 1902, at Baghownie Factory, Darbhanga. This 

 egg is rather curious, in that it is the only one I have seen which in any 

 way approaches an oval in shape. If carefully examined, however, one 

 end of this egg is seen to be distinctly smaller than the other. Of the 

 numerous other eggs I have seen of this species all have varied between 

 true ellipses and spheroidal eggs. It measures '94" by "70". This is 

 also the most narrow egg I have any record of. 



I have an egg taken by myself from the nest of Alcippe ?iepalensis at 

 Gunjong, North Cachar, on the 15th May, 1892. This egg measures *95" 

 by *85", and is the broadest and most spheroidal egg I have any record 

 of. A second egg taken from the nest of same foster-parent measures *93'' 

 by "80". In the first instance I saw the cuckoo glide off the nest into the 

 bushes, and shot her, so that there can be no doubt as to the ownership. 

 In the second case I saw ajacobinus close by the nest, but missed her. 



Mr. Davidson's oviduct egg was taken from a bird shot on the 19th 

 August, 1888, and Mr. Theobald's from one shot on the 18th of the 

 same month. 



The eggs are nearly always laid in the nest of either Argya or 

 Crateropus. The only exception I can find are the two I have mentioned 

 as being taken in the nest of Alcippe, two taken by my collectors from 

 the nest of Garrulax moniliger (The Necklaced Laughing- Thrush), eggs 

 taken by Miss Cockburn on the Neilgherries from the nest of Trocha- 

 lopterum cachinnans (The Nilgiri Laughing-Thrush), and the egg 

 recorded by Barnes as having been taken from the nest of Iora tiphia 

 at Baroda by Capt. Sadler. The huge blue Cuckoo's eggs in the tiny- 

 nests of Alcippe looked very ridiculous, and it seems incredible that the 

 birds could have been so imposed upon as to be induced to hatch them. 



