GEOCICHLA CITRINA. 459 



has a pretty song." Captain Hutton likewise writes that it is a true forest bird, " building in trees and 

 taking its food upon the ground, finding it in berries and insects among the withered leaves, which they 

 expertly turn over with their beaks ; and hence the reason why the bill is almost invariably clothed with mud 

 or other dirt." 



Nidification. — This species breeds in the Himalayas and in Pegu from April until June. Its nest has 

 been found by Messrs. Hutton, Marshall, Thompson, and Oates, and appears to be built sometimes in the fork 

 of the branch of a low tree and at others constructed in a similar situation at a considerable height from the 

 ground. Captain Hutton says that it is composed of coarse dry grasses, somewhat neatly interwoven on the 

 sides, but hanging down in long straggling ends from the bottom. Within this is a layer of green moss and 

 another of fine dry woody stalks of small plants, and a scanty lining at the bottom of fine roots. Another, 

 found by Mr. Oates in a ravine near Pegu, was situated about four feet from the ground, made of roots and 

 strips of soft bark, the ends of some of the latter hanging down a foot or more ; the interior lined with moss 

 and fern-roots ; the interior diameter about 4 inches and the inside depth about 2 inches. The eggs are usually 

 three or four in number, sometimes five. The ground-colour is described by Mr. Hume as " dull greyish or 

 greenish white, with a conspicuously mottled and speckled red-brown cap at the large end ; they vary from 

 0'82 to 1*1 inch in length, and in breadth from 07 to 082inch." 



Genus MONTICOLA. 

 Bill straight, rather wide at the base ; the culmen only curved at the tip, which is suddenly 

 bent down. Nostrils oval and exposed. Wings long in proportion to the tail ; the 1st quill equal 

 to the primary-coverts ; the 3rd the longest, 2nd subequal to the 5th. Tail rather short, even 

 at the tip. Tarsus with an inclination to be scutellated and rather short. 



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