TBOCHALOPTEBUM. 65 



houses at all the hill-stations of the Himalayas westward of Nepal 

 and throughout the lower ranges on which these stations are 

 situated ; this species breeds at elevations of from 5000 to 8000 

 feet. 



It lays from the end of April to the beginning of September, 

 and very possibly occasionally even earlier and later. I took a 

 nest on the 29th April near Mussoorie; Mr. Brooks obtained eggs 

 in May and June at Almorah ; Colonel G. P. L. Marshall at 

 Mussoorie in July and August ; and Colonel C. H. T. Marshall at 

 Murree from May to the end of July. I again took them in July 

 and August near Simla, and Captain Beavan found them as late 

 as the 6th of September near the same station. 



So far as my own experience goes, the nests are always placed 

 in very thick bushes or in low thick branches of some tree, the 

 Deodar appearing to be a great favourite. Those I found averaged 

 about 4 feet from the ground, but I took a single one in a Deo I 

 tree fully 8 feet up. The bird, as a rule, conceals its nest so well 

 that, though a loose and, for the size of the architect, a large 

 structure, it is difficult to find, even when one closely examines 

 the bush in which it is. The nest is nearly circular, with a deep 

 cup-like cavity in the centre, reminding one much of that of 

 Craterojpus canorus, and is constructed of dry grass and the fine 

 stems of herbaceous plants, often intermingled with the bark of 

 some fibrous plant, with a considerable number of dead leaves 

 interwoven in the fabric, especially towards the base. The cavity 

 is neatly lined with fine grass-roots, or occasionally very fine grass. 

 The cavity varies from 3 inches to 3 - 5 in diameter, and from 2 - 25 

 inches to 2 - 75 in depth; the walls immediately surrounding the 

 cavity are very compact, but the compact portion rarely exceeds 

 from *75 to 1 inch in thickness, beyond which the loose ends of 

 the material straggle more or less, so that the external diameter 

 varies from 5 - 5 inches to nearly 10. 



The normal number of eggs appears to me to be three, although 

 Captain Beavan cites an instance of four being found. 



Captain Hutton tells us (J. A. S. B. xvii.) that in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Mussoorie " this bird is met with in pairs, sometimes 

 in a family of four or five, and may be seen under every bush. 

 The nest is placed near the ground, in the midst of some thick low 

 bush, or on the side of a bank amidst overhanging coarse grass, 

 and not unfrequently in exposed and well-frequented places ; it is 

 loosely and rather slovenly constructed of coarse dry grasses and 

 stalks externally, lined sometimes with fine grass, sometimes with 

 fine roots. The eggs are three in number, and in shape and size 

 exceedingly variable, being sometimes of an ordinary oval, at others 

 nearly round." 



From Almorah and Nynee Tal my friend Mr. Brooks writes to 

 me " that this bird is common everywhere. The nest is generally 

 placed in a low tree or bush where the foliage is thick. It is com- 

 posed of grass, and lined with finer grass. The eggs are three in 

 number, one inch and one line long by nine lines broad. They are 



vol. i, 5 



