THE BIRDS OF NORTH CACHAR. 165 



lower plumage tlie same, though not so distinct. Thess bun^ktips are 

 not discarded until the second year. 



The nest is far more compact than is that of P. nepalensis. Hume 

 says the eggs " are broad ovals, not nearly so spherical as those of 

 P. hracliyura, with a fair amount of gloss, but again by no means so 

 glossy as those of the species just referred to.'" Now I have taken 

 intensely glossy ones and very spherical ones; in fact, with the exception 

 of one pair of eggs of P. ciicuUata, a clutch of eggs of P. cyanea now 

 in my collection are the most glossy ones I have, as also the most 

 spherical. 



The eggs vary nearly as much as those of P. nepalensis ; but, taking 

 them all round, they are decidedly more richly marked, and the 

 markings are certainly both darker and more numerous. 



(373) Pitta cucullata. — The Green-breasted Pitta. 

 Bume, No. 346 ; Oates, No. 935. 

 Not a common bird anywhere, and very irregularly distributed. 

 Thus there is one little tiny stream in the north where I can always 

 find a few, but there are none in the Diyung into which the Kuta 

 the small stream in question, runs ; nor are there any on several of the 

 other small streams in the immediate vicinity^ Their loud musical 

 whistle always denotes their whereabouts, but they are such shy birds 

 and keep so much to fairly thick undergrowth that they are not often 

 seen though often heard. 



The spherical pair of eggs above alluded to measure "95" X '92" 

 and '92" X *91"; so it will be seen that it would not be easy to get any 

 much more spherical than these. 



The eggs average in richness of colouring, etc., much the same as 

 those of P, cyanea ; indeed all the smaller Pittas seem to lay eggs more ' 

 handsomely and more profusely marked than does P. nepalensis. 

 Order — Euryl^mi. 

 Family Eurylcemidce. 

 (374) P, SARisoMUS-DALHOUSi^. — The Long-tailed Broad-bill. 



Hume, No, 138. 

 This beautiful Broad-bill is by no means uncommon above 2,000 feet, 

 and from that height up to about 4,000 feet ; above the latter and 

 below the former it is not common, though I have met with it in the 



