Myiophoneus eugenii, _Hume; Hume, cat._ no. 343 bis.
Major C.T. Bingham contributes the following note to the 'Birds
of British Burmah' regarding the nidification of this species in
Tenasserim:--"On the 16th April I was crossing the Mehkhaneh stream,
a feeder of the Meh-pa-leh, the largest tributary of the Thoungyeen
river, near its source, where it is a mere mountain-torrent brawling
over a bed of rocks strewed with great boulders. A small tree, drifted
down by the last rains, had caught across two of these, and being
jammed in by the force of the water, had half broken across, and now
formed a sort of temporary V-shaped dam, against which pieces of wood,
bark, leaves, and rubbish had collected, rising some six inches or so
above the water, which found an exit below the broken tree. On this
frail and tottering foundation was placed a round solid nest about
9 inches in diameter, made of green moss, and lined with fine black
roots and fibres, in which lay four fresh eggs of a pale stone-colour,
sparsely spotted, especially at the larger ends, with minute specks of
reddish brown. Determined to find out to what bird they belonged, I
sent my followers on and hid myself behind the trunk of a tree on the
bank and watched, gun in hand. In about twenty minutes or so a pair of
_Myiophoneus eugenii_ came flitting up the stream and, alighting near
the nest, sat for a time quietly. At last one hopped on the edge of
the nest, and after a short inspection sat down over the eggs with a
low chuckle. I then showed myself and, as the birds flew off, fired at
the bird that had been on the nest, but unfortunately missed. I was
satisfied, however, about the identity of the eggs and took them. In
shape they are somewhat like those of _Pitta_, and measure 1·45 x
1·02, 1·50 x 1·02, 1·46 x 1·01, and 1·50 x 1·01."