HOEOKtflS. 279

4:48. Horornis fortipes, Hodgs. TJie Strong-footed
Busli- Warbler.

Horomis fortipes, Hodgs., Jerd. B. Ind. ii, p. 162.

Durneticola fortipes, Hodgs., Hu?ne} Rough Draft N. $ E. no. 526.

According to Mr. Hodgson *, this Tree-Warbler breeds from
May to July in the central region of Nepal. They build a tolerably
compact and rather shallow cup-shaped nest of grass and dry
bamboo-leaves, mingled with grass-roots and vegetable fibre and
lined with feathers.

A nest taken on the 29th May measured externally 3*5 in
diameter and 2 inches in height, and internally 2 inches in diameter
by 1*37 in depth. It contained four eggs, which are figured as
deep dull purple-red. Dr. Jerdon gave me two eggs, as I now
feel certain, belonging to this species; there is no mistaking them,
as they are the most wonderful coloured eggs I ever saw ; but as he
was not certain to what species they belonged, I unfortunately
threw them away. Mr. Hodgson figures the egg as a moderately
broad oval, a good deal pointed towards one end, slightly glossy,
and measuring 0-65 by 0-47.

Two nests and eggs, together with one of the parent birds, of
the Strong-footed Bush-Warbler were sent me from Sikhim. Both
nests were found in thick brushwood or low jungle, at elevations
of 5000 to 5500 feet—the one at Lebong on the 12th June, the
other on another spur of the same hill in July.

The nests were very similar—small massive cups, composed
exteriorly of dry blades of grass and leaves, and lined internally
with fine grass and a few feathers. Both nests exhibit this lining
of feathers, so that it is no accident but a characteristic of the
bird's architecture. In. one nest a good deal more of the fine
flower-panicle stems of grasses are intermingled than in the other.
Externally the nests are about 4*5 in diameter and 2-5 in height;
the cavity 2 inches in diameter and about 1*25 in depth.

Five more nests of this species have been taken by Mr. Mandelli
in the neighbourhood of Lebong, between the 18th May and
15th July; with one exception, Hhere there were only three slightly
set eggs, all the nests contained four more or less incubated ones.
All the nests were placed in amongst the twigs of low brushwood
at heights of from 1 to 3 feet from the ground, and all present the
invariable characteristic feature of this species, namely, a greater
or less admixture of feathers in the lining of the cavity. Examin-
ing the nests carefully, it will be seen that they are composed of
three layers—exteriorly everywhere coarse blades of grass and
straw loosely put together, inside this a mass of extremely fine

* This note of Mr. Hodgson's refers to his plate No. 900. The birds in his
collection bearing this number are Neornis as&imilis, and are the same as
Horornis fortipes.—ED.