BIRDS ON THE PULNEY HILLS. 475 
a tussock of grass, made of leaves, fern and soft roots, very 
loosely put together, which soon fell all to pieces. I foolish- 
ly did not shoot the bird, as I thought I had identified it 
all right, but I am doubtful if it may not have belonged to 
the next species. This nest, however, was like the ordinary 
P. horsfieldi, and the other differed a good deal. 
*404bis.—Pomatorhinus melanurus, Bly. 
I shot a female, which I thus identify, from the nest on 
April 4th. The nest was placed in a coffee bush about three feet 
from the ground, and was made of coarse grass and reeds with 
a few leaves in the foundation. In shape it was a sort of 
rough, flat platform with the reeds brought up the sides and 
arched over the top, leaving a large hole at the side with the 
platform extending beyond it forming a ledge outside the 
entrance. It contained three incubated eggs which were in a 
very dirty state, having the appearance of eggs that have 
been on the ground in heavy rain. I unfortunately only kept 
one egg as I at first took them for P. horsfieldi, 
423bis.—Trochalopterum fairbanki, Blanf. 
Very common in the sholas at high elevations. The nests 
were hard to find, andI was disappointed in only being able 
to get afewof them. I got one on May 20th with two fresh 
eggs placed in the fork of a tree about six feet from the ground 
at Kukal. Another on the 30th at Kodikanal, also with two 
fresh eggs, in the fork of a tree about ten feet from the 
ground, a well-made cup inside with the outside somewhat 
straggling, of coarse grass and moss, lined with fine grass 2” 
deep and 3” across inside, 3:5” deep and 5:5” across outside. 
On the 6th June I found a nest with one very hard set egg, 
and on the 8th one with two young birds about a week old. 
434.—Malacocercus malabaricus, Jerd. 
Rather rare at Pulungi, but very common lower down on 
the slopes and in the Pittur valley. I got a nest on April 5th 
at Pulungi, with three incubated eggs, and on the 6th one with 
two incubated eggs in the Pittur valley. This last was built in 
a hollow in the top of a stump of a tree that had been broken 
off some ten feet from the ground. I afterwards obtained two 
nests in the same valley with three and four fresh eggs. 
*436.—Argya malcolmi, Sykes. 
I met with this bird on one occasion far down the slopes 
in the direction of the village of Pulney. 
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