The Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds, Volume 1

by Allan Octavian Hume

The egg measured 0·64 by 0·49.

451. Horornis pallidipes (Blanf.). Blanfords Bush-Warbler.

Horeites pallidipes (Blanf.), Hume, cat. no. 527 quat.

Mr. Mandelli sent me two nests of this species. The one was found on the 24th May at Ging, near the Rungnoo River, Sikhim, and contained four fresh eggs; it was placed on the ground amongst coarse grass. The other, which was similarly placed, was found on the 29th June below Lebong at an elevation of about 4000 feet, and contained three fresh eggs. Both nests are rather coarse untidy little cups, some 3 inches in diameter, and 1·75 in height exteriorly, lined and mainly composed of very fine grass, but coated exteriorly everywhere with dry flags, bits of bamboo spathes, and with one or two dead leaves incorporated at the bottom of the structure.

452. Horornis major (Hodgs.). The Large Bush-Warbler.

Horeites major, Hodgs., Hume, Rough Draft N. & E. no. 529 (err. 629).

A nest said to belong to the Large Bush-Warbler was sent in with one of the parent birds in July from near Lachong in Native Sikhim, where it was found at an elevation of about 14,000 feet. It was placed at a height of about a foot from the ground in a stunted thorny shrub common at these high elevations. It was a very warm little cup, about 3 inches in diameter, composed of the finest fern and moss-roots, tiny fern-leaves, wool, and numbers of the coarse white crinkly hairs of the burhel. It contained three fresh eggs, regular, slightly elongated ovals, a little pointed towards the small end; the shell fine and compact, but with scarcely any gloss.

The ground-colour is white with a faint greenish-blue tinge, and on the larger half of the egg excessively minute specks of brownish red are thinly sprinkled, except just at the crown of the egg, where the specks are denser and exhibit a tendency to form a tiny cap. On the smaller half of the egg very few, if any, specklings are to be traced.

In length the eggs measure 0·7 and 0·71, and in breadth 0·53 to 0·55.

454. Phyllergates coronatus (Jerd. & Bl.). The Golden-headed Warbler.