“The nest contained four partially incubated eggs:  three of them pointed and exactly alike, but the fourth rounded, and apparently of a different texture, so that it may have been introduced by a Cuckoo.”

Two eggs sent by Mr. Gammie are moderately elongated ovals, somewhat obtuse even, at the smaller end.  The shell is very fine, pure white, and has a fine gloss.  They measure 1.1 by 0.83, and 1.06 by 0.78.

125.  Pomatorhinus ruficollis, Hodgs. The Rufous-necked Scimitar Babbler.

Pomatorhinus ruficollis, Hodgs., Jerd, B. Ind. ii, p. 29; Hume, Rough Draft N. & E. no. 400.

The Rufous-necked Scimitar Babbler breeds in Nepal, the Himalayas eastward of that State, and in the various ranges running down from Assam to Burmah.

The breeding-season appears to be April and May.  They lay five, or sometimes only four, eggs.

From Sikhim Mr. Gammie writes:—­“This species breeds, I think, from the middle of April to the middle of May; but I have only as yet taken a single nest, and this I found at Rishap on the 5th May, at an elevation of about 4500 feet.  The nest was placed on the ground in open country, but partially concealed by overhanging grass and weeds, and immediately adjoining a deep humid ravine filled with a dense undergrowth.  The nest was composed of dry grass, fern, bamboo, and other dry leaves put loosely together and lined with a few fibres.  In shape it was domed or hooded, and exteriorly it measured 5.7 inches in height and 5 in diameter.  Interiorly the cavity was 2.6 in diameter, and had a total depth of 3.8 measured from the roof, but of only 2 inches below the lower margin of the aperture.  This nest contained five eggs, much incubated; indeed, they would have hatched off in one or two days.”

The Rufous-necked Scimitar Babbler breeds, according to Mr. Hodgson, in the central portion of Nepal in April and May, building a large, coarse, globular nest of dry grass and bamboo-leaves on the ground in some thick bush or bamboo-clump.  The opening of the nest is at the side.  They lay four or five white eggs, measuring as figured 0.9 by 0.68.

The eggs sent me by Mr. Gammie are rather elongated ovals, a good deal pointed towards one end, pure white, the shells very fine and fragile, and with a fair amount of gloss.

Ten eggs varied from 0.85 to 1.02 in length, and from 0.62 to 0.74 in breadth, but the average was 0.95 by 0.68.

129.  Pomatorhinus erythrogenys, Vigors. The Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler.

Pomatorhinus erythrogenys, Vig., Jerd.  B. Ind. ii, p. 31; Hume, Rough Draft N. & E. no. 405.

The Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler breeds from April to June in the Himalayas, at any rate from Darjeeling to the Valley of the Beas, at elevations of from 2000 to 6000 feet.  It may be met with at double this latter altitude, but I doubt if it nests higher.