814 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIV. 



this bird does breed at Khandalla in the monsoon and what is more seems to 

 be very common, as my man has sent rae many clutches. I went down to 

 Khandalla on the 16th August and was shewn a nest which had been 

 marked down. It was about 3 feet from the ground, in a dense tangle, by 

 the side of a mountain stream and was built on interlaced stems. The nest 

 was a rough structure of twigs lined with damp leaves, I beat for the bird, 

 but unfortunately she broke out away from me. The nest contained four 

 fresh egg3 of a creamy white coloar and with rather an oily or greasy surface. 

 I returned to the nest late in the afternoon to take the eggs, which I had 

 left in the hopes that the bird might have returned, but was disappointed. 

 I told my man he must get me a bird with a nest. Accordingly, on the 19th 

 August, he came in with a live bird and five partially incubated eggs of the 

 same type. He told me he had shot the bird with an arrow, while she was 

 seated on the nest and that when they are incubating they sit very close and 

 allow themselves to be almost taken with the hand. I should have liked to 

 have kept the bird alive, but as her thigh was broken, I thought it cruel, so 

 destroyed her and sent her to the Museum with the eggs. The eggs obtained 

 last year and this year are of the same type. As both the birds brought in 

 were Banded Crakes, and as Mr. Bell states the eggs he took are of the same 

 type as those obtained at Khandalla, I think the breeding of the bird can be 

 taken as established at that place, Khandalla is not the place to live in dur- 

 ing the monsoon, owing to the excessive rainfall, probably that is how its 

 breeding has never been previously discovered. 



R. M. BETHAM, Major, 



8th Bombay Infantry. 

 PooNA, Srd October, 1902. 



No. Ill,— THE EGGS OF THE LONG-BILLED BABBLER 

 {RIMATOR MALACOPTILUS). 

 Whilst discussing egg matters with Mr. Eugene Gates in the British 

 Museum, I referred to the uncertainty we felt as to the eggs of Rimator 

 vialacoptilus. Mr, Oates informed me that there were in the Museum three 

 eggs of this bird, procured by Mr. Gammie of Darjeeling, and these he turned 

 out and showed to me. Their description tallies in every single detail with 

 that given by me in my " Birds of Cachar," and I think places beyond all 

 doubt authenticity of my specimens. 



The nidification of Rimator, Corythocichla and Turdinulus bears out the very 

 close connection between these birds as shewn in their general structure and 

 peculiar lax, squamated plumage. It is indeed possible that the differences 

 in bill and in length of tail are insufficient to constitute genera, and all three 

 will have to be joined together, 



E. C. STUART BAKER, F.Z.S., &c. 

 Kings Lynn, Norfolk. 

 23rrf September, 1902. 



