creepers. The uniformity with which this latter material is used in
all nests is remarkable. The inside diameter is 5 inches, and the
depth only 1, thus making the structure very flat. The exterior
dimensions are not so definite, for the twigs and creepers stick out
in all directions; but making all allowances, the outside diameter may
be put down at 7 or 8 inches, and the total depth at 1½ inches.

"The eggs are usually three in number, but occasionally only two well
incubated eggs may be found. In a nest from which two fresh eggs had
been taken, a third was found a few days later.

"The eggs measure from 1·09 to ·88 in length, and from ·76 to ·68 in
breadth. The average of 22 eggs is ·98 by ·72."

In shape the eggs are typically moderately broad, rather regular
ovals, but some are distinctly compressed towards the small end, some
are slightly pyriform, some even pointed, though in the great majority
of cases the egg is pretty obtuse at the small end; the shell is
compact and tolerably fine, and has a faint gloss. The ground-colour
seems to be invariably a pale yellowish stone-colour. The markings
vary a good deal: in some they are more speckly, in others more
streaky, but taking them as a whole they are intermediate between
those of _Dendrocitta_ and those of _Garrulus_, neither so bold and
streaky as the former, nor so speckly as the latter. The markings are
a yellowish olive-brown; they consist of spots, specks, small streaky
blotches and frecklings; they are always pretty densely set over the
whole surface of the egg, but they are always most dense in a zone or
sometimes a cap at the large end, where they are often, to a great
extent, confluent. In some eggs small dingy brownish-purple spots
and little blotches are intermingled in the zone. The eggs differ