In shape the eggs are moderately broad ovals, slightly pointed towards one end.  They vary, however, a good deal, some being much more elongated than others.  They are almost entirely devoid of gloss.  The ground-colour is generally greyish white, but some have creamy and some a salmon tinge; typically they have numerous long streaky pale brown or reddish-brown blotches, chiefly confined to the large end, where they often seem to spring from an irregular imperfect zone of the same colour.  The colour of the blotches varies a good deal.  In some it is a pale greyish or purplish brown; in others decidedly reddish, or even well-marked and somewhat yellowish brown.  Some pale, purplish streaks and clouds generally underlie the brown blotches where they are thickest, and there form a kind of nimbus.  In some eggs the markings are confined to a narrow imperfect zone of pale purplish specks or very tiny blotches round the large end, and some of the eggs remind one of those of Leucocerca albifrontata.  The peculiar streaky longitudinal character of the markings, almost wholly confined to the large end, best distinguishes the eggs of the Ioras from those of any other Indian bird with which they are likely to be confounded.

In length they vary from 0.63 to 0.76, and in breadth from 0.51 to 0.57:  but the average of forty-seven eggs measured is 0.69, nearly, by a trifle more than 0.54.

246.  Myzornis pyrrhura, Hodgs. The Fire-tailed Myzornis.

Myzornis pyrrboura, Hodgs., Jerd.  B. Ind. ii, p. 263; Hume, Rough Draft N. & E. no. 629.

I have received a single egg said to belong to the Fire-tailed Myzornis from Native Sikhim, where it was found in May in a small nest (unfortunately mislaid) which was placed on a branch of a large tree at no great height from the ground.  The place where it was found had an elevation of about 10,000 feet.  Although the parent bird was sent with the egg, I cannot say that I have any great confidence in its authenticity, and only record the matter quantum valeat.

The egg is a very regular, rather elongated oval.  The egg was never properly blown and has been consequently somewhat discoloured.  It may have been pure white, and it may have been fairly glossy when fresh, but it is now a dull ivory-white with scarcely any gloss.  It measured 0.68 in length by 0.5 in breadth.

252.  Chloropsis jerdoni (Bl.). Jerdon’s Chloropsis.

Phyllornis jerdoni, Bl., Jerd.  B. Ind. ii, p. 97; Hume, Rough Draft
N. & E. no. 463.

I have never myself found the nest of Jerdon’s Chloropsis, but my friend Mr. F.R.  Blewitt has sent me numerous specimens of both nests and eggs from Raipoor and its neighbourhood.