From Sikhim Mr. Gammie writes:—­“I have found this Tree-Warbler (though why it should be called a Tree-Warbler I cannot imagine, for it sticks closely to grass and low scrub, and never by any chance perches on a tree) breeding from May to July at elevations from 3500 up to 6000 feet.  All the nests I have seen were of a globular shape with entrance near the top.  Both in shape and position the nest much resembles that of Suya atrigularis, and is, I have no doubt, the one brought to Jerdon as belonging to that bird.  It is placed in grassy bushes, in open country, within a foot or so of the ground, and is made of bamboo-leaves and, for the size of the bird, coarse grass-stems, with an inner layer of fine grass-panicles, from which the seeds have dropped, and lined with feathers.  Externally it measures about 6 inches in depth by 4 in width.  The egg-cavity, from lower edge of entrance, is 21/4 inches deep by 13/4 wide.  The entrance is 2 inches across.  The usual number of eggs is three.”

The eggs sent by Mr. Gammie are very regular, rather broad, oval eggs, with a decided but not very strong gloss.  In colour they are a uniform deep chocolate-purple.  In length they vary from 0.63 to 0.69, and in breadth from 0.49 to 0.52.[A]

[Footnote A:  I cannot identify the following bird, which appears in the ‘Rough Draft’ under the number 552 bis.  I reproduce the note together with some additional matter furnished later on by Mr. Gammie. Neornis assimilis is nothing but Horornis fortipes; but I cannot reconcile Mr. Gammie’s account of the nest with that of H. fortipes, inasmuch as nothing is said about a lining of feathers, which appears to be an unfailing characteristic of the nest of H. fortipes.—­ED.

No. 552 bis.—­NEORNIS ASSIMILIS, Hodgs.

Mr. Gammie sent me a bird unmistakably of this species—­Blyth’s Aberrant Tree-Warbler—­together with the lining of a nest and three eggs.

He says:—­“The nest, eggs, and bird were brought to me on the 18th May by a native, who said the nest was placed in a shrub, about 6 feet from the ground, in a place filled with scrub near Rishap, at about 3500 feet above the sea.  I noted at the time the man’s account, but as I did not take the nest myself, I kept no account of it.  All I know about it is written on the ticket attached to the nest sent to you.  The bird was snared on the nest.  Though I did not take it myself, I have little doubt that it is quite correct.”

The lining of the nest is a little, soft, shallow saucer 21/2 inches in diameter, composed of the finest and softest brown roots.

The eggs are somewhat of the same type as those of N. flavolivaceus, but in colour more resembling those of some of the ten-tail-feathered Prinias.  They are very short broad ovals, pulled out and pointed towards one end, approximating to the peg-top type.  They are very glossy and of a uniform Indian red; duller coloured rather than those of the Prinias; not so deep or purple as those of N. flavolivaceus.