TBOCHALOPTEEUM. 65

houses at all the hill-stations of the Himalayas westward of Nepal
and throughout the lower ranges on which these stations are
situated; this species breeds at elevations of from 5000 to 8000
feet.

It lays from the end of April to the beginning of September,
and very possibly occasionally even earlier and later. I took a
nest on the 29th April near Mussoorie; Mr. Brooks obtained eggs
in May and June at Alrnorah; Colonel Gr. E. L. Marshall at
Mussoorie in July and August; and Colonel C. H. T. Marshall at
Murree from May to the end of July. I again took them in July
and August near Simla, and Captain Beavan found them, as late
as the 6th of September near the same station.

So far as my own experience goes, the nests are always placed
in very thick bushes or in low thick branches of some tree, the
Deodar appearing to be a great favourite. Those I found averaged
about 4 feet from the ground, but I took a single one in, a Deo I
tree fully 8 feet up. The bird, as a rule, conceals its nest so well
that, though a loose and, for the size of the architect, a large
structure, it is difficult to find, even when one closely examines
the bush in which it is. The nest is nearly circular, with a deep
cup-like cavity in the centre, reminding one much of that of
Crdteropus canorus, and is constructed of dry grass and the fine
stems of herbaceous plants, often intermingled with the bark of
some fibrous plant, with a considerable number of dead leaves
interwoven in the fabric, especially towards the base. The cavity
is neatly lined with fine grass-roots, or occasionally very fine grass.
The cavity varies from 3 inches to 3-5 in diameter, and from 2-25
inches to 2*75 in depth; the walls immediately surrounding the
cavity are very compact, but the compact portion rarely exceeds
from *75 to 1 inch in thickness, beyond which the loose ends of
the material straggle more or less, so that the external diameter
varies from 5-5 inches to nearly 10.

The normal number of eggs appears to me to be three, although
Captain Beavan cites an instance of four being found.

Captain Hutton tells us (J. A. S. B. xvii.) that in the neigh-
bourhood of Mussoorie " this bird is met with in pairs, sometimes
in a family of four or five, and may be seen under every bush.
The nest is placed near the ground, in the midst of some thick low
bush, or on the side of a bank amidst overhanging coarse grass,
and not unfrequently in exposed and well-frequented places ; it is
loosely and rather slovenly constructed of coarse dry grasses and
stalks externally, lined sometimes with fine grass, sometimes with
fine roots. The eggs are three in number, and in shape and size
exceedingly variable, being sometimes of an ordinary oval, at others
nearly round."

From Almorah and Nynee Tal my friend Mr. Brooks writes to

me " that this bird is common everywhere. The nest is generally

placed in a low tree or bush where the foliage is thick. It is com-

. posed of grass, and lined with finer grass. The eggs are three in

number, one inch and one line long by nine lines broad. They are

YOL. I. 5