TROCHILOPTERUH. 61

92. Trochalopterum squamatum (Gould). The Blue-winged
Laughing-Thrush.

Trochalopteron squamatum (Gould), Jerd. B. Lid. ii, p, 46 : Hume}
Hough Draft N. fy E. no. 420.

Prom Sikhim my friend Mr. Garonne writes:—" I have never as
yet found more than one nest of the Blue-winged Laughing-Thrush,
and this one was found on the 18th May at Mongphoo, at an ele-
vation of about 3500 feet. The nest was placed in a bush (one of
the Zingiberacece), growing in a marshy place, in the midst of dense
scrub, at a height of about 4 feet from the ground, and was
firmly attached to several upright stems. It was composed of dry
bamboo-leaves, held together by the stems of delicate creepers, and
was lined with a few black fibres. It was cup-shaped, and mea-
sured externally 5-7 in diameter by 3*6 in height, and internally 3'7
in width by 2-6 in depth. The nest contained three eggs, which
were unfortunately almost ready to hatch off, so that three is
probably the normal number of the eggs."

According to Mr. Hodgson's notes the Blue-winged Laughing-
Thrush breeds in May and June in the central region oŁ Nepal in
forests, at elevations of from 2000 to 6000 feet. The nest is
placed in a fork of a branch on some small tree, and is a large
mass of dry leaves and coarse dry grass, 7 or 8 inches in diameter
externally, mortar-shaped, the cavity about 2-5 deep, and lined with
hair-like fibres. The nest, though composed of loose materials,
is very firm and compact. They lay four or five eggs, unspotted,
verditer-blue, one of which is figured as a broad regular oval, only
slightly compressed towards one end, measuring 1-2 by 0-9.

One of the eggs taken by Mr. Gammie (the others were un-
fortunately broken) is a long, almost cylindrical, oval, very obtuse
at both ends and slightly compressed towards the smaller end, so
that the egg has a pyriform tendency. It measures 1*25 by 0-82.
The colour is an excessively pale greenish blue, precisely the same
as that of the eggs of Sturnia malabarica -} but then this present
egg was nearly ready to hatch off: when taken, and the fresh eggs
are somewhat deeper coloured.

Subsequent to his letter above quoted, Mr. Garnrnie on the 10th
June found a second nest of this species similar to the first, con-
taining three nearly fresh eggs. These are similar in shape to that
above described, but in colour are a beautiful clear verditer-blue,
altogether a much brighter and richer tint than that of the first.
They measure 1-2 and 1-25 by 0-88.

One nest was taken by Mr. Gammie above Mongphoo at an
elevation of about 4500 feet on the 30th of April. It was placed in
a bush at a height of about 6 feet from the ground, and contained
three fresh eggs. * It was a loosely put together, massive cup, some
7 inches in diameter and 4 in height externally. It was com-
posed mainly of fine twigs, creeper-stems, and grass, with a few
bamboo-leaves intermingled, and the cavity was carefully lined