4 8 CBATEBOPODID &.

in May, June, and July, at elevations of from 2000 to fully 4000 feet,
and in one case it is said 5000. They are all very similar, large,
very shallow cups, from 6 to nearly 8 inches in external diameter,
and from 2*5 to 3'5 m height; exteriorly all are composed of coarse
grass, of bamboo-spathes, with occasionally a few dead leaves
intermingled, loosely wound round with creepers or pliant twigs,
while interiorly they are composed and lined with black, only
moderately fine roots or pliant flower-stems of some flowering-tree,
or both. Sometimes the exterior coating of grass is not very
coarse; at other times ba.mboo-spathes exclusively are used, and
the nest seems to be completely packed up in these.

The eggs of this species are broad ovals, pure white and glossy.
They vary from 1-05 to 1-13 in length, and from 0-86 to 0-95 in
width, but the average of eighteen eggs is a little over 1*1 by 0-9.

70. Garrulax "belangeri, Less. The Burmese White-crested
Laughing- Thrush.

Garrulax belangeri, Less., Hume, Cat no. 407 bis.

Mr. Gates, who found the nest of this bird many years ago in
Burma, has the following note:—"Nest in a bush a few feet from the
ground, on the 8th June, near Pegu. In shape hemispherical, the
foundation being of small branches and leaves of the bamboo, and
the interior and sides oŁ small branches of the coarser weeds and
fine twigs. The latter form the egg-chamber lining and are nicely
curved. Exterior and interior diameters respectively 7 and 3|
inches. Total depth 3| and interior depth 2 inches. Three eggs,
pure white and highly glossy, and they measure 1*14 by -87, 1*1
by -88, and 1-03 by -86."

The nests of this species are large, loosely constructed cups,
much resembling those of its Himalayan congeners. The base and
sides consist chiefly of dry bamboo-leaves with a few dead tree-leaves
scantily held together by a few creepers, while the interior portion
of the nest, which has no separate lining, is composed of fine twigs
and stems of herbaceous plants and the slender flower-stems of
trees which bear their flowers in clusters. The nests vary a good
deal in exterior dimensions as the materials straggle far and wide
in some cases, and the external diameter may be said to vary from
6 to 8 inches, and the height from 3*25 to 4*5; the cavities are more
uniform in size, and are about 3*5 in diameter by 2 in depth.

The eggs are moderately broad ovals, at times somewhat
pointed perhaps towards the small end, pure white and fairly
glossy.

Major 0. T. Bingham thus writes of this bird :—" It is very diffi-
cult to either watch these birds, unseen yourself, at one of their
dancing parties, or to catch one of them actually sitting on the
nest. Twice had I in the end of March this year come across nests
with one or two of these birds in the vicinity, and yet have had to
leave the eggs in them as uncertain to what bird they belonged.