“ immature plumage, huddled together on the branch of a tree, waiting for the arrival of 
“ their parents. I have kept them for some time in a cage, and fed them on raw meat and 
“ boiled eggs. On the 26th of September I found a nest of T. margaritatus in the vertical 
“ bank of a ravine, cut away by the floods in the stiff soil during the rainy season. It was 
“ about eight or nine feet up, near the top of the bank, a circular hole about two and a half 
“ inches in diameter, led through a passage about two feet long, and slightly inclined 
“ upward, into a rounded gpace, separated from the gallery by a small kind of ditch. 
‘ 1 There was a single egg, deposited on the bare earth, in the interior of this space without 
“ any foreign material interposed as lining. It was of an oval form, rather small for the 
“ size of the bird, rather obtuse at both ends, of a pure white colour with a delicate rose 
“ coloured tinge in the light. On the 8th October I found another nest, containing four 
“ eggs, in a similar locality. They were shorter than those described above, and had 
“ become almost milk white by incubation. I am unable to. say for certain whether the 
“ bird digs the hole for itself; there were several similar holes in the neighbourhood, one 
“ containing the abode of a species of ‘ Accomys,’ which probably digs the hole, and the 
“ birds afterwards prepare and modify according to their wants.” 
The average dimensions taken from skins that we have examined give, wing, 3.3 to 
3.6 inches ; tail, 3.5 to 3.8 inches; bill, 8.5, along gape 1.25 ; tarsus, 1.05. 
The plate is taken from skins in the collection of Mr. R. B. Sharpe, said to be from 
Abyssinia, one wanting the black breast spot, the other having it fully developed. The 
figures are of the size of life. 
