Henicurus guttatus, Gould.
The Eastern Spotted Forktail.
Enicurus guttatus, Gould, Hume, Rough Draft N.& E. no. 584 bis.
When speaking of the previous species. Dr. Jerdon remarks : - “The nest and eggs of this bird have been brought me more than once, made of roots, fibres, and a little moss, with three or four eggs, greenish white, with a few rusty - brown spots."
This, however, as he told me, occurred at Darjeeling, where only the present species, the Eastern Spotted Forktail, and not the preceding one, is found, and his remarks therefore apply to this species.
From Sikhim Mr. Gammie sends me the following : -" Henicurus guttatus makes a similar nest to that of H. schistacevs, but a good deal neater. I have found only two nests of it, both unfortunately containing young - one three, the other four; both nests were on tiny ledges of moss - covered rocks, a little above water - mark, in beds of streams. The outer parts of the nests were made flush with the natural moss on the rocks. One had but one skeleton leaf in the bottom, but the other was well lined with them. The eggs, to judge from the broken shells, are very much like those of H. schistaceus. It breeds in May and the beginning of June."
Later on, he writes : -" I have seen at lest half a score nests of this Forktail, but only three or four with eggs. It breeds in May and June, from 2000 feet upwards. Two of the nests I found had been used at least two years, for their walls were living masses of roots of neighbouring plants and green moss of one or more years' growth. They are usually placed on ledges of rocks by sides of streams, very little above water - mark, and are deep massive structures, round or oval according to the shape of the ledge on which they rest. They are composed of moss intermingled with skeleton leaves, and lined with fine roots. Externally they measure about 6 inches across by 3.5 deep ; internally 3.5 inches by 2.5. The eggs are three or four in number."
A recent writer in the ' Asian' remarks : -
"The nest is a rather massive cup - shaped structure, almost entirely composed of moss, lined with a little hair, a few fern - roots, or scraps of the same moss as the whole of the exterior is made of. The base of the nest is nearly always much mixed with damp earth, making the nest very substantial and heavy; one that I had the curiosity to weigh was no less than two and a half pounds. Another effect of the damp earth is to keep the moss beautifully fresh and green, making the nest look much like a clump of growing moss. Jerdon states that the nest is composed of roots, fibres, &c., but I have never come across one so made, though 1 have taken a great many both of this and other species. It is invariably built near water, and frequently on the banks of some hill - stream, either in a hollow in the bank, amongst or under the rocks, or else under the protecting cover of a stout tree - root, bunch of ferns, or other suitable position; occasionally the nest may be found placed amongst the ferns and fern - moss which grow amongst the rocks at the side of some little - used hill - path, but even then there is sure to be water at no great distance, and the site chosen will be a damp one. I found one nest placed in a hollow in a wall of rock forming a part of one side of a big hill - stream. The hollow was nearly filled with moss, and it made a peculiarly comfortable abode, and, moreover, a very safe one, as, though quite visible from the low bank opposite, it could only be got by means of a boat or raft.
“The eggs are either three or four in number; sometimes, though but rarely, they are as many as "five. They are of a very pale greenish - white ground - colour, freckled throughout with pale reddish ; the amount of spots and the depth of their colour varies greatly in different specimens, sometimes they are quite profusely covered with dark reddish, and at other times almost unspotted, such freckles as there are being entirely confined to the larger end. The most common type, however, will be found to be that first mentioned.
" They breed from May to July, commencing to lay at the end of the first month. I had a Forktail's nest with eggs, four hard - set, brought to me once in August, which may have belonged either to this species or to H. schistaceus, the eggs of which differ but slightly from those of H. immaculatus."
A lovely nest of this species sent me from Sikhim, taken near Mongphoo on the 6th May, at an elevation of 3000 feet, and which contained four fresh eggs when taken, is a massive cup of green moss firmly felted together, lined with fine fern - roots, and then the cavity completely coated inside with skeleton leaves. Exteriorly the nest is about 5 inches in diameter and 3 in height; the cavity is 3 inches in diameter and 2 in depth,
Eggs of this species, with which I have been favoured by Mr. Gammie, belong to quite the same types as those of its congeners. The eggs are somewhat elongated ovals, typically pointed towards the small end, but more or less pyriform and obtuse - ended varieties occur. The shell is fine and compact, but it never has much gloss, and in some specimens scarcely any. The ground - colour varies, sometimes nearly pure white, sometimes greenish white, and sometimes a pinky or creamy stone - colour. The markings consist of freckling and mottling of different shades of reddish, purplish, or yellowish brown, the shade varying in every egg, often densest about the large end, and often more or less sparse over the rest of the egg. In some eggs small spots and specks of more pronounced colour, olive or reddish brown, are dotted about amongst the mottlings, and in some eggs there is a little faint purple or lilac mottling intermingled at the large end.
In length the eggs vary from 0.86 to 1.0 inch, and in breadth from 0.65 to 0.7 inch.
The Eastern Spotted Forktail.
Enicurus guttatus, Gould, Hume, Rough Draft N.& E. no. 584 bis.
When speaking of the previous species. Dr. Jerdon remarks : - “The nest and eggs of this bird have been brought me more than once, made of roots, fibres, and a little moss, with three or four eggs, greenish white, with a few rusty - brown spots."
This, however, as he told me, occurred at Darjeeling, where only the present species, the Eastern Spotted Forktail, and not the preceding one, is found, and his remarks therefore apply to this species.
From Sikhim Mr. Gammie sends me the following : -" Henicurus guttatus makes a similar nest to that of H. schistacevs, but a good deal neater. I have found only two nests of it, both unfortunately containing young - one three, the other four; both nests were on tiny ledges of moss - covered rocks, a little above water - mark, in beds of streams. The outer parts of the nests were made flush with the natural moss on the rocks. One had but one skeleton leaf in the bottom, but the other was well lined with them. The eggs, to judge from the broken shells, are very much like those of H. schistaceus. It breeds in May and the beginning of June."
Later on, he writes : -" I have seen at lest half a score nests of this Forktail, but only three or four with eggs. It breeds in May and June, from 2000 feet upwards. Two of the nests I found had been used at least two years, for their walls were living masses of roots of neighbouring plants and green moss of one or more years' growth. They are usually placed on ledges of rocks by sides of streams, very little above water - mark, and are deep massive structures, round or oval according to the shape of the ledge on which they rest. They are composed of moss intermingled with skeleton leaves, and lined with fine roots. Externally they measure about 6 inches across by 3.5 deep ; internally 3.5 inches by 2.5. The eggs are three or four in number."
A recent writer in the ' Asian' remarks : -
"The nest is a rather massive cup - shaped structure, almost entirely composed of moss, lined with a little hair, a few fern - roots, or scraps of the same moss as the whole of the exterior is made of. The base of the nest is nearly always much mixed with damp earth, making the nest very substantial and heavy; one that I had the curiosity to weigh was no less than two and a half pounds. Another effect of the damp earth is to keep the moss beautifully fresh and green, making the nest look much like a clump of growing moss. Jerdon states that the nest is composed of roots, fibres, &c., but I have never come across one so made, though 1 have taken a great many both of this and other species. It is invariably built near water, and frequently on the banks of some hill - stream, either in a hollow in the bank, amongst or under the rocks, or else under the protecting cover of a stout tree - root, bunch of ferns, or other suitable position; occasionally the nest may be found placed amongst the ferns and fern - moss which grow amongst the rocks at the side of some little - used hill - path, but even then there is sure to be water at no great distance, and the site chosen will be a damp one. I found one nest placed in a hollow in a wall of rock forming a part of one side of a big hill - stream. The hollow was nearly filled with moss, and it made a peculiarly comfortable abode, and, moreover, a very safe one, as, though quite visible from the low bank opposite, it could only be got by means of a boat or raft.
“The eggs are either three or four in number; sometimes, though but rarely, they are as many as "five. They are of a very pale greenish - white ground - colour, freckled throughout with pale reddish ; the amount of spots and the depth of their colour varies greatly in different specimens, sometimes they are quite profusely covered with dark reddish, and at other times almost unspotted, such freckles as there are being entirely confined to the larger end. The most common type, however, will be found to be that first mentioned.
" They breed from May to July, commencing to lay at the end of the first month. I had a Forktail's nest with eggs, four hard - set, brought to me once in August, which may have belonged either to this species or to H. schistaceus, the eggs of which differ but slightly from those of H. immaculatus."
A lovely nest of this species sent me from Sikhim, taken near Mongphoo on the 6th May, at an elevation of 3000 feet, and which contained four fresh eggs when taken, is a massive cup of green moss firmly felted together, lined with fine fern - roots, and then the cavity completely coated inside with skeleton leaves. Exteriorly the nest is about 5 inches in diameter and 3 in height; the cavity is 3 inches in diameter and 2 in depth,
Eggs of this species, with which I have been favoured by Mr. Gammie, belong to quite the same types as those of its congeners. The eggs are somewhat elongated ovals, typically pointed towards the small end, but more or less pyriform and obtuse - ended varieties occur. The shell is fine and compact, but it never has much gloss, and in some specimens scarcely any. The ground - colour varies, sometimes nearly pure white, sometimes greenish white, and sometimes a pinky or creamy stone - colour. The markings consist of freckling and mottling of different shades of reddish, purplish, or yellowish brown, the shade varying in every egg, often densest about the large end, and often more or less sparse over the rest of the egg. In some eggs small spots and specks of more pronounced colour, olive or reddish brown, are dotted about amongst the mottlings, and in some eggs there is a little faint purple or lilac mottling intermingled at the large end.
In length the eggs vary from 0.86 to 1.0 inch, and in breadth from 0.65 to 0.7 inch.
