birds' NESTIN'G in rajpootana, 43 



100,— Oypsellus affinis : I. E. Gfi. 



The Common Indian Swift breeds, I believe, all tbe year round. 

 The nests are placed under the roofs of verandahs, stables, and 

 such like places, and are composed principally of feathers aggluti- 

 nated together with saliva. The shape depends altogether on the 

 place in which it is : if in a hole, the nest fits all round it, and 

 necessarily takes its shape ; sometimes it is placed betweeu two 

 rafters, and when these are close together, the nest is long and 

 narrow. Sometimes the nests are isolated, but generally they are 

 built in clusters or congeries. Thev almost always breed in com- 

 pany. The eggs, three in number, vary much in shape, but are 

 normally very long narrow ovals. They are dead white without any 

 spots. They average 0*87 inch' s in length by about 056 in breadth. 



The roof of the verandah of the house in which I lived at Nee- 

 much was literally covered with their nests, so that I had ample 

 opportunities for observing them ; and I believe that there were eggs 

 and nestlings in some or other of them the whole year through. 



114. — Caprimulgus monlicolus : Frankl. 

 I found two eggs of Franklin's Night Jar on the 15th June. 

 They were deposited on the bare ground under the scant shelter 

 afforded by a small tuft of grass. They are longish oval in shape 

 and are of a pinkish cream colour, spotted and bl >tched with pale 

 brown and faint purple. They measure 1*21 inches in length by 

 0-84 in breadth. 



117. — Merops viridis : Lin. 



The Common Indian Bee-eater breeds during April. They 

 excavate holes in the banks of nullahs, from two to four feet in extent, 

 according to the nature of the soil. The eggs, four in number, are 

 deposited in the bare soil ; they are nearly spherical in shape and 

 are glossy milk-white in colour. They measure 0'78 inches in length 

 by 0-69 in breadth. 



I have often found eggs in the same hole in different stages of 

 incubation. 



123. — Coracias indica : Lin. 

 The Indian Roller or Blue Jay breeds during April and May in 

 holes in trees, old walls, or under the eaves of houses. A little grass 

 and a few feathers suffice for a nest. The eggs, four in Dumber 

 are nearly spherical in shape, and measure 1*3 inches in length by 

 about 1*1 in breadth. They are china-white in colour, and are highly 

 glossy, 



