ceateropodidjE. 45 



Family CRATEROPODIDvE. 



Subfamily CRATEROPODIN^. 



62. Dryonastes ruficollis (J. & S.). The Rufous-necked Laughing- 

 Thrush. 



Garrulax ruflcollis (J. 8f S.), Jerd. B. hid. ii, p. 38 ; Hume, Rough 

 Draft N. 8f E. no. 410. 



Of the Rufous-necked Laughing-Thrush, Mr. Blyth remarks : — 

 " Mr. Hodgson figures the egg of a fine green colour." 



The egg is not figured in my collection of Mr. Hodgson's 

 drawings. 



Writing from near Darjeeling, in Sikhim, Mr. Graminie says : — 

 " I have seen two nests of this bird ; both were in bramble-bushes 

 about five feet from the ground, and exactly resembled those of 

 Dryonastes ccerulatus, only they were a little smaller. One nest 

 had three young ones, the other three very pale blue unspotted 

 eggs, which I left in the nest intending to get them in another day 

 or two, as I wanted to see if more eggs would be laid, but when I 

 went back to the place the nest had been taken away by some 

 one. Both nests were found here in May, one at 3500 feet, 

 the other at 4500 feet. 



" I have taken numerous nests of this species from April to 

 June, from the warmest elevations up to about 4000 feet. They 

 are cup-shaped ; composed of dry leaves and small climber-stems, 

 and lined with a few fibrous roots. They measure externally about 

 5 inches in width by 3 - 5 in depth ; internally 3 - 25 across by 2-25 

 deep. Usually they are found in scrubby jungle, fixed in bushes, 

 within five or six feet of the ground. . The eggs are three or four 

 in number." 



Many nests of this species sent me from Sikhim by my friends 

 Messrs. Mandelli and Gaminie are all precisely of the same type — 

 deep and rather compact cups, varying from 5 to 6 inches in external 

 diameter, and 3 - 25 to 3"75 in height ; the cavities about 3-25 in 

 diameter and 2-25 in depth. The nest is composed almost entirely 

 of dry bamboo-leaves bound together loosely with stems of creepers 

 or roots, and the cavity is lined with black and brown rootlets, 

 generally not very fine. They seem never to be placed at any very 

 great elevation from the ground. 



The eggs of this species, of which I have received a very large 

 number from Mr. G-ammie, are distinguishable at once from those 

 of all the other species of this group with which I am acquainted. 

 Just as the egg of Garru 7 ax albigularis is distinguished by its very 

 deep tone of coloration,the egg of the present species is distinguished 

 by its extreme paleness. In shape the eggs are moderately broad 

 ovals, often, however, somewhat pyriform, often a good deal pointed 

 towards the small end. The shell is extremely fine and smooth, 



