602 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVI. 



1 6, The Indian Tree-pie — Detidrocitta rufa. Scop. 

 Common in the lower hills up to 4,000 ft. 

 18. The Himalayan Tree-pie — Dendrocitta himalaymsis, Blyth. 



Fairly common near cultivation with plenty of dense forest 

 in the vicinity. Lays end of May to middle June. Eggs three 

 or four in number. 

 24, The Black-throated Jay — Garrulns lanceolatus. Vigors. 



Common. Breeds indiflerently in dense forest or in the 

 vicinity of villages. Lays towards the end of April and 

 throughout May, occasionally in June. 



26. The Himalayan Jay — Garrulus bispecularis, Vigors. 



In the cold weather wanders far and wide but during the 

 breeding season extremely local. At no season does it appear 

 to wander far from the forest. Eggs, of which a good series 

 has been taken, are easily distinguished from G. lanceolatus. 

 The nest too is very characteristic, being made of moderate 

 sized sticks and green moss, lined with roots — a firm, compact 

 structure, very different from the nest of the Black-throated 

 Jay. Few nests exhibit any attempts at concealment. From 

 records of eleven nests I find three eggs to be the normal 

 clutch, only twice have I found four. 



27. The Himalayan Nutcracker — Nucifraga hemispila. Vigors. 



As Hume says, " Common about the fir-clad hills just North 

 of Simla". As far as I know the egg has probably not 

 previously been taken in India (Mr. E. C. Stuart Baker has 

 them from Tibet, I believe). A nest I found on the 10th March 

 1917 containing two young about five days and an addled egg 

 was placed 22 ft. from the ground in a Deodar tree. It was 

 supported by two horizontal branches where they sprang from 

 the main stem. In appearance it resembled a Jay's, but the 

 exterior had, besides the twigs, a certain amount of lichen and 

 dry Oak {Q. dilatata) leaves incorporated in it. Lined with dry 

 grass, moss, lichen and hair. It measured externally 8 inches 

 wide by 4 inches deep. Inside breadth 4 inches by 2| inches 

 deep. 



The young were clothed in white down. The egg is a broad 

 oval. The ground colour is a very pale greenish grey and the 

 miarkings, which are most numerous at the large end, consist of 

 irregular blotches, some larger and some smaller, of umber 

 brown with a few underlying freckles of pale inky purple. 



It measures 1-42 inch long by 1'07 inch wide. 



The tree, in which the nest was, stands on a steep hill-side 

 facing East and the surrounding forest, consisting of Deodar, 

 Pine, Oak and Holly, is fairly dense though there is no under- 

 growth. Elevation 7,500 ft. 



31. The Indian Grey Tit — Parus atriceps, Horsf. 



Common up to about 6,000 ft. In the cold Aveather descends 

 to the lower valleys and plains. Probably double brooded. 

 Nests found April to July. 



34. The Green-backed Tit — Parus monticola. Vigors. 



Common at all elevations from 6,500 ft. upwards. 



35. The Red-headed Tit — JEgithaliscus erythrocephalus, Vigors. 



Common resident, single brooded. Nests March to beginning 

 of May, though I think these late nests are probably second 

 attempts. One nest I found was lined with feathers of the 

 Imperial Sand-Grouse (P. arenarius) ! 



