Abbott’s Babbler breeds throughout Burma in suitable localities.  Writing from Kyeikpadein, in Southern Pegu, Mr. Oates says:—­“On the 22nd May I found a nest with two eggs nearly hatched, and on 23rd of same month another with two eggs, one of which was fresh and the other incubated.  This bird builds in thick undergrowth, and the nest is built at a height of about 2 feet from the ground.  I have found very many of their nests, but, with the above exceptions, the young had flown.  It is generally attached to a stout weed or two, and consists of two portions.  First, a platform of dead leaves about 6 inches in diameter and 1 deep, placed loosely, and on this the nest proper is built.  This consists of a small cup, the interior diameter of which is 2 inches, and depth 11/2.  It is formed entirely of fine black fern-roots well woven together.  Stout weeds appear favourite sites, but I have found old nests in dwarf palm-trees at the junction of the frond with the trunk, and in one instance I found an old nest on the ground, undoubtedly belonging to this bird.  Three eggs measured .84 by .66, .82 by .67, and .87 by .65.  They are very glossy and smooth.  The ground-colour is a pale pinkish white.  At the cap there are a few spots and short lines of inky-purple sunk into the shell, and over the whole egg, very sparingly distributed, there are spots and irregular fine scrawls of reddish brown.  A few of the marks are neither spots nor scrawls, but something like knots.  The cap is suffused with a darker tinge of pink than are the other parts of the shell.

“A third nest, found on the 10th June, contained three eggs, and differed from those above described in being very massive.  It was composed of dead leaves and fern-roots, and measured about 5 inches in exterior diameter, with the egg-cup about 21/2 inches broad and 2 inches deep.  It was placed on some entangled small plants about 2 feet from the ground.  Of these eggs I noted that before being blown the shell was of a ruddy salmon colour.  The marks are much as in the others described above.”

The eggs are moderately broad ovals, somewhat pointed at times towards the small end, and occasionally slightly pyriform.  The shell is fine and glossy; the ground-colour is pinky white, with a redder shade about the large end.  A few streaks, spots, and hieroglyphics of a deep brownish red, each more or less surrounded by a reddish nimbus, are scattered very thinly about the surface of the egg, while, besides these, a few small greyish-purple subsurface-looking spots may be observed about the larger end.  The average size of the seven eggs I possess is 0.82 by 0.64.

163.  Alcippe nepalensis (Hodgs.). The Nepal Babbler.

Alcippe nipalensis (Hodgs.), Jerd.  B. Ind. ii, p. 18; Hume, Rough
Draft N. & E. no. 388.

The Nepal Babbler, according to Mr. Hodgson’s notes, breeds from March to May, building a deep, massive, cup-shaped nest, firmly fastened between two or three upright shoots, and laying three or four eggs, which are figured as measuring 0.7 by 0.55.  He has the following note:—­