284 SYLVIIDJE.

much lower down in June was composed of grasses neatly inter-
woven in the shape oŁ an ovate ball, the smaller end uppermost
and forming the mouth or entrance ; it was lined first with cottony
seed-down, and then with fine grass-stalks ; it was suspended
among high grass, and contained five beautiful little eggs of a
carneous white colour, thicldy freckled with deep rufous, and with
a darkish confluent ring of the same at the larger end. I have
seen this species as high as 7000 feet in October. It delights to
sit on the summit of tall grass, or even of an oak, from whence it
pours forth a loud and long-continued grating note like the filing
of a saw."

"Writing of Nepal, Dr. Scully says : — " A nest taken on the 29th
June contained only two fresh eggs. The nest was of the shape of a
mangoe, the small end being uppermost, and the entrance on one
side, near the top ; its measurements externally were, in height
5-2, in breadth 3-6 in one direction and 2-65 in the other; the
opening was nearly circular, 1*8 in diameter. It was rather flimsy
in structure, composed of grass-down, more or less felted together,
and bound round externally wibh dry green grass-blades ; internally
it was scantily lined with fine grass-stems, which were iised to
strengthen the lower lip of the entrance-hole. The eggs were
fairly glossy, moderate or longish oval in shape, and measured 0*65
by 0-5 and 0-7 by 0-49 ; the ground-colour was pinkish white, the
small end nearly free from markings, the middle portion with
faint streaks and tiny indistinct spots of brownish red, and the
large end with a zone of bright brownish red or a confluent cap
of the same colour."

Prom Sikhim Mr. G-ainmie writes: — "This Suya breeds from
May to June in the warmest valleys up to 3500 feet. It affects
open grassy tracts, and builds its nest in a bunch of grass, within
a foot or two of the ground. The nest is an extremely neat egg-
shaped structure, with entrance at side, made of fine grass-stems
thickly felted over with the white seeds of a tall flowering grass,
which gives it a very pretty appearance. Externally it measures
5 inches in height by 3 in diameter ; the cavity is 2-25 wide and 2
deep, from lower edge of entrance. The entrance is about 2-25
across.

" The usual number of eggs is four. I have never found more,
but on several occasions as few as two and three well-incubated

A nest of this species taken by Mr. Gammie near Mongphoo, on
the 18th April, at an elevation of about 3000 feet, contained three
fresh eggs. It closely resembles nests that I have taken of S. cri-
me/era in shape, somewhat like an egg, with the entrance on one
side, near the top, exteriorly about 5 inches in length, and 2|
inches in diameter, with an aperture a little less than 2 inches
across. It -was built amongst grass, of which a few fine stalks
constitute the outer .framework, and the whole body of the nest
inside this framework consists solely of the flower-down of grass