STACHYRHIS. Ill

species in former years, and have found two this season, but have
never seen eggs with 6 faint darker spots ? as mentioned by Jerdon.
Hodgson's description is quite correct. The eggs area * pale fawn-
colour ' before they are blown, the shells being so translucent that
the yolk shows through partially. The shell is pure white in itself.
The cavity of the cup-shaped part oC one nest beside me is 2 inches
deep by 2 inches wide ; outer dimensions 5| inches deep (from top
of hood) by 4 inches wide across the face of entrance. It is loosely
though neatly made of bamboo-leaves and fern, lined with dry
grass. The bird breeds in May and June, and lays four or five

r. Eugene Gates tells us that he " procured only one specimen
of this bird, and that was in the evergreen forests of the Pegu Hills.
1 shot it off the nest on the 29th April. The nest was on a bank
of a nullah well concealed among dead leaves, about 2 feet above
the bottom of the bank. The nest is domed, about 7 inches in
height and 5 inches in diameter externally, with the entrance at
the side near the top. The outside is a mass of bamboo-leaves
very loose, being in no way bound together ; each leaf is curled to
the shape of the nest. The inside, a thin lining only of vegetable
fibres. There were three eggs, ]ust on the point of hatching ;
colour, pure white/'

The Black-throated Babbler breeds, according to Mr. Hodgson,
in April and May, and builds a large deep cup-shaped nest, either
upon the ground in the midst of grass, or at a short distance above
the ground bet ween five or six thin twigs ; aiiest which he measured
was externally 4-5 inches in diameter and 3-5 in height, while the
cavity was 2-5 in diameter and 2 in depth. The nest is composed of
dry bamboo- and other leaves wound together with grass and moss-
roots, and lined with these, and is a very firm compact structure,
considering the materials. They lay four or five eggs, which are
figured as very regular rather broad ovals, of a nearly uniform, very
pale cafe-au-lait colour (these were the unllown eggs), measuring
about 0-75 by 0-58.

Dr. Jerdon remarks : — "A nest and eggs were brought to me at
Darjeeling, and said to be of this species. The nest was rather
large, very loosely made of bamboo-leaves and fibres, and the eggs
were of a pale salmon-colour, with some faint darker spots."

There is no doubt that these must have been the eggs of some
other species.

Major C. T. Bingham tells us : — " This little bird, though not
at all common, breeds in the Sinzaway Reserve, in Tenasseriin. I
took five hard-set eggs, placed in a beautiful little domed nest, at
the foot of a clump of bamboos, on the bank of a dry choung or
nullah. This was on the 20th March. The nest was composed
exteriorly of dry bamboo-leaves, and interiorly of fine grass-roots,
the entrance being on one side. I shot the female as she crept off
the nest."

It does not seem that in the Himalayas this species domes its
nest. Numerous other nests that have been sent me from Sikhim,