

cavity is about 3*5 deep, and below the lower margin of the entrance-hole nearly 1*75 in 

 diameter. The portico and the upper portion of the neck of the nest is chiefly coir, while the 

 lower and broader portions are mostly grass and pieces of bamboo-sheaths, a dead leaf or so, and 

 a scrap or two of bark. There is no attempt to decorate the nest externally, as is so common in 

 this genus; but perhaps the nest was not quite finished, though Davison says they were all 

 alike." 



These nests were no doubt, as Mr. Hume suggests, not quite finished ; for I am informed, in 

 that gentleman's and Mr. Davison's recent notes to me, that " subsequently Mr. De Roepstooff 

 took a beautiful nest of this species near Camorta, in the Nicobars, containing two hard-set eggs, 

 in January. 



" The nest was suspended a few feet from the ground, from near the end of a slender twig 

 of a thorny plant. 



" It was of the usual Arachnechthra type, a pendent pear, about 6 inches in length and 3-25 

 in its greatest breadth, suspended by the small end, composed of the finest flower-stems of grass 

 with a quantity of broad blade leaves of grass incorporated in the outer portion of the structure, 

 some of these, as usual, being allowed to hang down below the bottom of the nest, giving the 

 characteristic ragged or, possibly the bird considers it, ornamental appearance to the nest. 



"About 2-5 inches below the point of suspension a circular aperture, 1 inch in diameter, 

 has been pierced ; and above this the nest has been pulled out into an ample portico completely 

 overshadowing the whole entrance, and projecting a good deal beyond it. 



" The ground-colour of the egg is a dull pale brownish grey ; and it is finely streaked and 

 freckled everywhere with a darker shade of brown : besides this a very few specks and minute 

 spots of a very dark brown are observable here and there on the surface of the egg, each more or 

 less enveloped in a brownish haze. On one side of the egg the markings seem to have a tendency 

 to form a zone round the large end. The eggs measured 061 by - 45." 



It has been recorded by Mr. Wallace (P. Z. S. 1863, p. 486) from Lombock and Flores; and 

 some of that gentleman's specimens I have examined. They are large, but come within the 

 measurements given by Mr. Hume of Nicobar specimens. 



An example in the Marquis of Tweeddale's collection obtained by Dr. Meyer in Madura, a 

 small island to the north-east of Java, has the smaller dimensions of the Javan bird, and thus 

 differs from the Flores specimens in Mr. Swinhoe's cabinet, from which I have taken my figures 

 and descriptions, in having the wing 0*2 inch shorter; but it is evident from the measurements 

 given by Mr. Hume of Nicobar and Singapore specimens that these variations are of slight 

 importance. 



In Borneo it appears to be rather a scarce bird ; of its occurrence at Banjer massing, we are 

 informed by Mr. Sclater (P. Z. S. 1863, p. 220) that it was sent home in a large collection made 

 in South-east Borneo by Mr. Motley ; and it is referred to in the following note : — " Found also 

 in Labuan ; here it frequents chiefly the flowers of the Laban (Vitex tomentosa)." At Sarawak, 

 according to Count Salvador!, the Marquis Doria and Dr. Beccari found it in January and 

 February, and not very common then ; and he informs us that a nest they discovered there, 

 apparently belonging to this species, was very like the nest of C. insignis figured by S. Midler 

 (Verhand. pi. 9), which differs very considerably from the descriptions of the nest of this species 



