146	CBA-TEUOPODIDJE.
I have never taken a nest o£ the Tellow-naped Ixulus.
Mr. Grammie says :—" I have only as yet found a single nest of
this species, and this was one of the most artfully concealed that
I have ever seen. I found it in forest in the Chinchona reserves,
at an elevation of about 5000 feet, on the 14th May. It was a
rather deep cup, composed of inoss and fine root-fibres and thickly
lined with the latter, and was suspended at a height of about six
feet amongst the natural inoss, hanging from a horizontal branch
of a small tree, in which it was entirely enveloped. A more
beautiful or more completely invisible nest it is impossible to
conceive. It contained three fresh eggs. The cup itself was
exteriorly 3'7 inches in diameter and 1*9 in depth, while the cavity
was 2*5 in diameter and 1*5 in depth."
The Yellow-naped Ixulus breeds, according to Mr. Hodgson's
notes, in the central region of Nepal and the neighbourhood of
Darjeeling, laying during the months of May and June. It builds
on the ground in tufts of grass, constructing its nest of moss
and moss-roots, sometimes open and cup-like and sometimes
globular, and lining it with sheep's wool. Mr. Hodgson figures
one nest suspended from a branch, and although neither the
English nor the vernacular notes confirm this, it is supported to
a certain extent by Mr Grammie's experience. At the same time,
though the situation and surroundings of both seem to have been
similar, Mr. Hodgson figures his nest, not cup-shaped, but egg-
shaped, and with the longer diameter horizontal. Seven nests
are recorded as having been taken, and all on the ground. One,
cup-shaped, taken on the 7th June, 1846, which is also figured,
in amongst grass and leaves on the ground, measured externally
3-5 inches in diameter, 2-5 in height, and internally 2 inches both in
diameter and depth.
The full complement of eggs is said to be four. Two types of
eggs are figured, both rather broad ovals, measuring about 0-75
by 0*6. The one has a buffy-white ground and is thinly speckled
and streaked, except quite at the broad end, where the markings
are nearly confluent, with pale dingy yellowish brown • the other
has a pale earthy-brown ground, and is spotted similarly to the one
just described, but with red and purple. This latter egg appears
on the same plate with the suspended nest, and is, I think,
doubtful.
Several nests of this species, which I owe to Captain Masson of
Darjeeling, ^are very beautiful structures, moderately shallow and
rather massive cups, externally composed of moss, and lined thickly
with fine black moss-roots. The cavity of the nests may have
been about If inch in diameter by less than 1| inch in depth, but
the sides of the nests are from one inch to 2 inches in. thickness,
constructed of firmly compacted moss.
Other nests of this species that have since been sent me show
that the bird very commonly suspends its nest to one or two twigs,
not unfrequently making it a complete cylinder or egg in shape,
with the entrance at one side, but always using moss, in some cases