CBTPSIEHINA.

25

is at all pinkish then the markings are more or less of a reddish
brown. Besides these primary markings, all the eggs exhibit a
greater or smaller number of faint lilac or purple spots or blotches,
which chiefly occur where the other markings are most dense. In
length they vary from 1-06 to 1-22, and in breadth from 0-8 to
1-0, bat the average of 34 eggs is 1-14 by 0*85.

21. Crypsirliina variaus (Lath.). The Blade Racket-tailed Magpie.
Crypsirhina varians (Lath.}, Hume, Cat. no. 678 quat.

This Magpie is very common in Lower Pegu, where Mr. Gates
found many nests. He says :—

" This bird appears to lay from the 1st of June to the 15th
of July; most of my nests were taken in the Litter mouth. It
selects either one of the outer branches of a very leafy thorny
bush, or perhaps more commonly a branch of a bamboo, at heights
varying from 5 to 20 feet.

" The nest is composed of fine dead twigs firmly woven together.
The interior is lined with twisted tendrils of convolvulus and other
creepers. The uniformity with which this latter material is used
iu all nests is remarkable. The inside diameter is 5 inches, and
the depth only 1, thus making the structure very flat. The ex-
terior dimensions are not so definite, for the twigs and creepers
stick out in all directions; but making all allowances, the outside
diameter may be put down at 7 or 8 inches, and the total depth at
lg inches.

" The eggs are usually three in number, but occasionally only
two well incubated eggs may be found. In a nest from which
two fresh eggs had been taken, a third was found a few days
later.

u The eggs measure from 1*09 to *88 in length, and from '76 to
•68 in breadth. The average of 22 eggs is '98 by -72."

In shape the eggs are typically moderately broad, rather regular
ovals, but some are distinctly compressed towards the small end,
some are slightly pyriform, some even pointed, though in the great
majority of cases the egg is pretty obtuse at the small end; the
shell is compact and tolerably fine, and has a faint gloss. The
ground-colour seems to be invariably a pale yellowish stone-colour.
The markings vary a good deal: in some they are more speckly, in
others more streaky, but taking them as a whole they are inter-
mediate between those of Dendrocitta and those of Gamdus,
neither so bold and streaky as the former, nor so speckly as the
latter. The markings are a yellowish olive-brown; they consist of
spots, specks, small streaky blotches and frecklings; 'they are
always pretty densely set over the whole surface of the egg, but
they are always most dense in a zone or sometimes a cap at the
large end, where they are often, to a great extent, confluent. In
some eggs small dingy brownish-purple spots and little blotches
are intermingled in the zone. The eggs differ in general appear-