The Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds, Volume 1Hume, Allan Octavian
Philosophy
The Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds, Volume 1
Hume, Allan Octavian
Birds -- India; Birds -- Nests
The eggs are very large for the size of the bird. There appear to
be two types. The one somewhat elongated ovals, slightly compressed
towards the lesser end; the others broad short ovals, decidedly
pointed at one end. Some eggs are perfectly pure unspotted white;
others have a dull white ground, with a faint zone of minute specks of
brownish red and tiny spots of greyish purple towards the large end,
and a very few markings of a similar character scattered about the
rest of the surface. All the eggs of the latter type vary in the
amount and size of markings; these latter are always sparse and very
minute. The pure white eggs appear to be less common. The eggs have
always a slight gloss, the pure white ones at times a very decided,
though never at all a brilliant gloss.
In length they vary from 0·61 to 0·7 inch, and in breadth from 0·5 to
0·52 inch.
Mr. Brooks subsequently wrote:--"The Cashmir Wren is not uncommon in
the pine-woods of Cashmir, and in habits and manners resembles its
European congener. Its song is very similar and quite as pretty. It is
a shy, active little bird, and very difficult to shoot. I found two
nests. One was placed in the roots of a large upturned pine, and
was globular with entrance at the side. It was profusely lined with
feathers and composed of moss and fibres. The eggs were white,
sparingly and minutely spotted with red, rather oval in shape;
measuring 0·66 by 0·5. A second nest was placed in the thick foliage
of a moss-grown fir-tree, and was about 7 feet above the ground. It
was similarly composed to the other nest, but the eggs were rounder
and plain white, without any spots."
355. Urocichla caudata (Blyth). _The Tailed Wren_.
Pnoepyga caudata (_Blyth), Jerd. B. Ind._ i, p. 490; _Hume, Rough
Draft N. & E._ no. 331.
The Tailed Wren, according to Mr. Hodgson's notes, lays in April and
May, building a deep cup-shaped nest about the roots of trees or in
a hole of fallen timber; the nest is a dense mass of moss and
moss-roots, lined with the latter. One measured was 3·5 inches in
diameter and 3 in height; internally, the cavity was 1·6 inch, in
diameter and about 1 inch deep. They lay four or five spotless whitish
eggs, which are figured as broad ovals, rather pointed towards one
end, and measuring 0·75 by 0·54 inch.
356. Pnoepyga albiventris (Hodgs.). _The Scaly-breasted Wren_.
Pnoepyga squamata (_Gould), Jerd. B. Ind._ i, p. 488.
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