114 CEATEEOPODID^.

174, StachyrMdopsis pyrrhops, Hodgs. The Red-billed Babbler.

Stachyris pyrrhops, Hodgs., Jerd. £. Ind. ii; p. 21; Hume, Rough
Draft N.~$ K no. 392.

Accounts differ somewhat as to the eggs of the Eed-billed
Babbler.

From Murree, Colonel C. H. T. Marshall writes : —" Nest found
in low ground, about 100 yards from the River Jheelum, situated
in a low bush externally composed of broad dry reed-leaves, and
interiorly of fine grass, cup-shaped. Eggs, four in number, long
oval, white, with a few reddish specks at the larger end. Length
*7, breadth -5. Lays in the latter end of June, 4000 feet up."

The nest, which he kindly sent me, is a deep cup, coarsely made
interiorly of grass-stems, externally of broad blades of grass, in
which a few dead leaves are incorporated; there is no lining.
Exteriorly the nest is about 3*5 inches in diameter, and about 3 in
depth; the egg-cavity is a little more than 2 inches in diameter,
and fully 1-75 in depth.

. Mr. Hodgson " found the nest" of this species in Nepal, " at an
elevation of about 6000 feet, in shrubby upland/5 It was " placed in
a small shrub about 2 feet from the ground." It was " a very deep
cup, about 4 inches in length, and 2*5 in diameter externally,
placed obliquely endwise upon cross-stems of the shrub, and
opening, as it were obliquely, upwards at one end," the cavity
being about 1*5 in diameter. The nest was made of " dry leaves
and grass pretty compactly woven." The nest " contained four
eggs," which are described as " whitish, with spare and faint
fawn-coloured spots/7 and are figured as measuring 0*65 by 0*47.

Captain Hutton says :—" This is a common species both in the
Dhoon and in the hills, and may be found at all seasons, making
known its presence among the brushwood by the utterance of a
clear and musical note like the ringing of a tiny bell. In the
winter time it is often mixed up with flocks composed of Siva
striyula and IAotliri.es luteus, creeping among the bushes like the
Pari and Phylloscopi. It constructs its nest at the base of bushes,
the eggs being three in number, of a faint greenish grey, thickly
irrorated with small reddish-brown specks. The nest is composed
of dry grass-blades externally, within which is a layer of fine
woody stalks and fibres, and lined with black hair. It is cup-
shaped, and placed upon a thick bed of dried leaves, which are
most probably accumulated beneath the bush by the wind. One
nest was taken at Dehra, in a garden, on the 30th July, and others
at Mussoorie about the same time.'3

But the eggs sent by Captain Hutton clearly do not, I think,
pertain to this species. Those taken by Colonel Marshall are
certainly genuine, and are considerably larger and very differently
coloured eggs.

, In shape they are moderately broad ovals, some of them slightly
compressed towards the small end. The shell is very fine and
smooth, but with scarcely any gloss ; the ground is pure white,