34 NATURAL HISTORY. 



to the tailor-bird) in all months here, and have often noticed the 

 peculiar flurting of the tail over the head, mentioned by Layard (in 

 Jerdon, who says he has not observed it). 



What is a "seasonal visitant," cold season or wet season or hot 

 season, — who can tell ? At any rate Phylloscopus tnstis is a 

 " seasonal visitant," while the other Phylloscopi are "cold weather 

 visitants." And why repeat Linnaeus's old misprint of Anthus 

 Spinoletta when naturalists like Prof. Newton give the true form 

 spipoletta (Yarrell, 4th ed.). And while Mr. Barnes was " at his 

 larks," he might have told us what was the character of the hind 

 claw of the genus Corydalla (p. 244). Mr. Barnes says the white-eyed 

 tit {Z. palpebrosa) is a common permanent resident in the Deccan, 

 but that " in other parts of the Presidency it only occurs, I believe,, 

 afc* a cold weather visitant." I can certify that it breeds here, and 

 is fairly common, and that I have seen it in nearly every month. 

 I can also assure Mr. Barnes that Dendrocitta rufa, the Indian Tree- 

 pie, breeds here, and is fairly common all the year round. He says 

 they become very scarce during the hot weather, and certainly I 

 have seen great numbers of them then in the hill jungles of Abu and 

 the Vindhyas, but they do not migrate from our Guzerat plains. 

 They are very shy and wary birds when breeding, and the nests in 

 the thick mango foliage are hard to find. As Captain Marshall says 

 " the eggs of the rose-coloured paster {P. ?~oseus) are not known," 

 and as Mr. Barnes does not mention them, I may note that a full and 

 very interesting account of the breeding of these birds is given in the 

 last edition of Yarrell. I may also say that I kept 18 of them in a 

 large aviary last season till September, in the hope of their breed- 

 ing in captivity, but without success. 



Estrelda formosa, the green wax-bill, is not very rare hereabouts, 

 occurring generally in flocks. The common pea-hen I have found 

 breeding here in the fork of a mango trunk, 10 feet from the ground, 

 but here, as elsewhere, the usual site is on the ground. Mr. Barnes 

 ought to have noted that the male of Tumix taigoor, the black- 

 breasted bustard quail, sits on the eggs and minds the babies, Avhile 

 the female goes round to fight the ladies of the neighbouring fami- 

 lies. This brings me up to the grallatores, and I will give only a few 

 more selections from very many marginalia on Mr. Barnes's Handbook. 



The lesser florican visits Baroda in small numbers during the 

 rains, and breeds here ; but a few remain here all the year round 

 as I have shot them in the following months : February, April, May, 



