18 
BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 
the broken tree. On this frail and tottering foundation was placed a round 
solid nest about nine inches in diameter, made of green moss and lined 
with fine black roots and fibres, in which lay four fresh eggs of a pale 
stone-colour, sparsely spotted, especially at the larger ends, with minute 
specks of reddish brown. Determined to find out to what bird they 
belonged, I sent my followers on and hid myself behind the trunk of a 
tree on the bank and watched, gun in hand. In about twenty minutes or 
so a pair of Myiophoneus eugenei came flitting up the stream and, alighting 
near the nest, sat for a time quietly. At last one hopped on to the edge 
of the nest and after a short inspection sat down over the eggs with a 
low chuckle. I then showed myself and, as the birds flew ofi*, fired at the 
bird that had been on the nest, but unfortunately missed. I was satisfied, 
however, about the identity of the eggs and took them. In shape they 
are somewhat like those of Pitta, and measure 2*45 x 1 '02, 1-50 x 1*02, 
1-46 X I-Ol, and 1-50 x I'Ol.'' 
16. MYIOPHONEUS TEMMINCKI. 
THE HIMALAYAN WHISTLING-THRUSH. 
M3aophonus temminckii, Vigors^ P. Z. 8. 1831, p. 171 ; Jerd. B, Ind. i. p. 500 ; 
Hume^ Nests and Eggs, p. 221 ; Hume Henders. Lah. to Yark. p. 187 ; Hume, 
S. F. ii. p. 331 Bl. Sf Wald. B. Burm. p. 98 ; Hume, S. F. iii. p. 105 5 Hume ^ 
Dav. S. F. vi. p. 236 ; Hu7ne, 8. F. viii. p. 93 ; 8cuUy, 8. F. viii. p. 281. 
Description. — Male and female. The whole plumage blue, each feather 
tipped with brighter blue ; the wings and tail overlaid with cobalt on the 
outer webs ; lesser wing-coverts black, with broad margins of glistening 
blue; median wing-coverts with whitish tips. 
Bill yellow, the culmen and the base of the upper mandible blackish ; 
iris brown ; feet and claws black. 
Length 13*5 inches, tail 5*5, wing 7, tarsus 2*1, bill from gape 1*55. 
The female is smaller. 
The Himalayan Whistling-Thrush has hitherto only been found on the 
Arrakan hills and its spurs, nearly down to the Irrawaddy. To the east of 
that river it is replaced by the preceding species, but Capt. Wardlaw Ramsay 
appears to have procured both species in the Karin hills. 
It probably is found in all the Indo-Burmese countries. It is known 
to occur in the hill-tracts of Eastern Bengal and it extends throughout 
the whole range of the Himalayas from Assam to the Indus, wandering in 
the cold weather some distance out into the plains. It appears to be a 
resident throughout the year wherever it occurs. Its habits are those of 
the last species. 
