230 SYLVIID2E.

both, but the sexes were not ascertained; still I doubt whether
the two birds can possibly be merely different sexes of the same
species. Anyhow, the female bird which he figures (No. 826) is
really brunneipectus, and under that name I notice the nest and
eggs on which the female figured was captured. Mr. Hodgson
notes:—" Goscdnthan. In the snows ; female and nest.

" August 2nd.—Nest in a bunch of reeds placed slantingly: ovate
in shape; aperture at one side; placed about half a foot above the
ground, made of grasses and moss, 4 or 5 inches in diameter ex-
teriorly, interiorly between 2 and 3 inches." The eggs are figured
as moderately broad ovals, measuring 0*65 by 0*48, of a uniform
deep cinnabar-red, reminding one of the eggs of Prinia socialis, but
much deeper in colour*.

Mr. Mandelli sends me three nests of this species, all found near
Yendong, in Native Sikhim, at an elevation of about 9000 feet, on
the 15th, 17th, and 21st July. The nests contained two, two, and
three fresh eggs respectively, and were placed, two of them in
small brushwood, and one in a clump of rush or grass, from 9 to
18 inches above the ground. They seem to have all been rather
massive little cups, composed exteriorly of broad grass-blades
rather clumsily wound together, and lined with rather finer, but
by no means fine grass. In two of them some dead leaves have
been incorporated in the basal portion.

They are rather dirty, shabby-looking nests, obviously made of
dead materials, old withered and partially-dec'ayed grass, and not
with fresh grass ; they seem to have measured 3 inches in diameter,
and 2-5 in height externally ; the cavity was perhaps 1-5 to 1'75
in diameter, and 1 inch more or less in depth.

Eroin Sikhim. Mr. Gammie writes :—" Nest among scrub in
small bush, 2 feet from ground, at 5000 feet above the sea. Pound
on the 3rd June, when it contained two eggs; taken on the 5th,
with four eggs. I dissected the bird killed off the nest, and found
it to be a female; in her stomach were the remains of a few
insects. The nest is cup-shaped, loosely made of dry leaves and
grass, lined with, for the size of the bird, coarse grass-stalks. Ex-
ternally it measures 3-5 inches in breadth by 2-5 deep ; internally
2 broad by 1-5 deep."

This nest taken by Mr. Gammie near Eungbee on the 5th June,
1875, at an elevation of about 5000 feet, contained four eggs. It
was a massive little cup about 3 inches in diameter externally, and
with an internal cavity about 2 inches in diameter and 1| inch
deep; was rather loosely put together, externally composed of dead
leaves and broad flags of grass, internally lined with grass-stems.

The eggs of this species are very regular broad ovals, the shells

* There can be no doubt, I think, that T. affinis and T. brmneipectus are the
same_ species as T. thoracica. I reproduce Mr. Hodgson's note on the nesting
of this species together with Mr. Hume's remarks, but I feel sure that the nest
described by Mr. Hodgson and the egg figured by him cannot belong to the
present species.—ED.