284 SYLYinm 



much lower down in June was composed of grasses neatly inter- 

 woven in the shape of an ovate ball, the smaller end uppermost 

 and forming the mouth or entrance ; it was lined first with cottony 

 seed-down, and then with fine grass-stalks; it was suspended 

 among high grass, and contained five beautiful little eggs of a 

 carneous white colour, thickly freckled with deep rufous, and with 

 a darkish confluent ring of the same at the larger end. I have 

 seen this species as high as 7000 feet in October. It delights to 

 sit on the summit of tall grass, or even of an oak, from whence it 

 pours forth a loud and long-continued grating note like the filing 

 of a saw." 



Writing of Nepal, Dr. Scully says : — " A nest taken on the 29th 

 June contained only two fresh eggs. The nest was of the shape of a 

 mangoe, the small end being uppermost, and the entrance on one 

 side, near the top ; its measurements externally were, in height 

 5-2, in breadth 3-6 in one direction and 2-65 in the other ; the 

 opening was nearly circular, 1-8 in diameter. It was rather flimsy 

 in structure, composed of grass-down, more or less felted together, 

 and bound round externally with dry green grass-blades ; internally 

 it was scantily lined with fine grass-stems, which were used to 

 strengthen the lower lip of the entrance-hole. The eggs were 

 fairly glossy, moderate or longish oval in shape, and measured - 65 

 by - 5 and - 7 by 0"49 ; the ground-colour was pinkish white, the 

 small end nearly free from markings, the middle portion with 

 faint streaks and tiny indistinct spots of brownish red, and the 

 large end with a zone of bright brownish red or a confluent cap 

 of the same colour." 



From Sikhim Mr. Gammie writes : — " This Suya breeds from 

 May to June in the warmest valleys up to 3500 feet. It affects 

 open grassy tracts, and builds its nest in a bunch of grass, within 

 a foot or two of the ground. The nest is an extremely neat egg- 

 shaped structure, with entrance at side, made of fine grass-stems 

 thickly felted over with the white seeds of a tall flowering grass, 

 which gives it a very pretty appearance. Externally it measures 

 5 inches in height by 3 in diameter ; the cavity is 2-25 wide and 2 

 deep, from lower edge of entrance. The entrance is about 2-25 

 across. 



" The usual number of eggs is four. I have never found more, 

 but on several occasions as few as two and three well-incubated 

 eggs." 



A nest of this species taken by Mr. Gammie near Mongphoo, on 

 the 18th April, at an elevation of about 3000 feet, contained three 

 fresh eggs. It closely resembles nests that I have taken of S. cri- 

 nigera in shape, somewhat like an egg, with the entrance on one 

 side, near the top, exteriorly about 5 inches in length, and 2f 

 inches in diameter, with an aperture a little less than 2 inches 

 across. It was built amongst grass, of which a few fine stalks 

 constitute the outer framework, and the whole body of the nest 

 inside this framework consists solely of the flower-down of grass 



