TEE BIRDS OF NORTH CACHAR. 141 



massive oval made of moss and leaves, and was placed in between two 

 rocks, being covered by a third. In height it was about 8", in length 

 only about 6|" owing to the walls, where they cf^ie next the 

 rocks, being much thinner than the base or roof. Jfhe interior 

 must have been very nearly a perfect sphere, some 4" in dia- 

 meter. The eggs were so unlike what I expected that, had I not 

 found the nest myself and repeatedly seen the parent birds I should 

 have believed them to belong to Garrulax leucolophus. Like 

 the eggs of that bird, these possessed a hard glossy shell, and in 

 the same way also the surface was distinctly pitted. 



The four eggs measure 1-12" X "88", 1'12" X '88"; I'll" x '88" 

 and 1-09" X '89". 



(306) C. pallasi— Pallas's Dipper. 

 Oates, No. 710; Hume, No. 349 Bis. 

 I got two specimens of this bird on a small stream running into the 

 Jiri River at an altitude of about 3,500 feet. I also saw what I 

 believed to have been this species on the Ninglo Stream; but as I did 

 not shoot it, I cannot be certain. This year (1893) a pair were 

 to be seen every day in July on the Laisung Stream ; but they were 

 very wild and would not allow any one to approach within shooting 

 distance. 



Family Ploceidce. 

 Sub-family Ploceince. 

 (307) Plocetts megabhynchus.— The Eastern Baya. 

 Oates, No. 721 ; Hume, No. 694 Bis. 

 Very common indeed up to 2,500 feet, and less so up to some 500 

 feet higher, above which height I have not seen it. 



(308) P. bengalensis.— The Black-throated Weaver-Bird. 

 Oates, No. 722 ; Hume, No. 696. 

 Only met with at the foot of the North Cachar Hills. Once I came 

 across a small colony breeding on the Umrung Plateau, in 1890 • but 

 1 have not since then seen any. 



(309) P. manyak. — The Striated Weaver-Bird. 

 Oates, No. 723 ; Hume, No. 695. 

 As far as I have been able to ascertain, rare even in Cachar and 

 only occurring in North Cachar as an occasional straggler. 



