birds' nesting in rajpootana. 45 



rare, but at Mhow, where the bird literally swarms during the 

 monsoon, I obtained an egg extracted from the oviduct of a female. 



214. — Eudynamis honor ata : Lin, 



The Koel lays her eggs in nests of the Common Crow, usually 

 one egg in a nest, occasionally two, but I once found three, but as 

 these eggs differed from each other, I am inclined to think they 

 must have been the produce of different birds. I have never found 

 the Crow eggs broken. The eggs vary much both in colour and size, 

 pale sea-green, oily-green, dull olive-green and dingy stone-coloured 

 varieties all occur, and the markings are olive or reddish brown and 

 dull purple. They average 1/2 inches in length by 0'92 in breadth. 



217. — Cenlrococcyx rufipennis : III. 

 The Crow Pheasant or Coucal breeds from May to July, or even 

 later. It builds a large, irregular, domed, globe-shaped nest, com- 

 posed of twigs and coarse grass, lined with leaves. The nest is placed 

 in the centre of a thorny thicket or tree. The eggs (I have never 

 found more than three) are broad, white, chalky ovals, measuring 1*43 

 inches in length by about rather less than 1*17 in breadth. 



234, — Cinnyris asiatica : Lath. 



The Common Purple Honeysucker commences to breed in March, 

 and nests may be found quite up to the beginning of the rains. The 

 nest is pendant-shaped, something like a Florence flask, or oval with a 

 tapering neck. This is suspended from the end of a slender branch or 

 twig. All sorts of material are made use of in constructing the nest : 

 fibres, cobwebs, hair, fine grass, bits of straw, lichens, dead leaves, 

 flower petals, pieces of rag, &c, are all pressed into service and are 

 neatly and compactly woven together. It is well lined with soft 

 vegetable down. The nest at a short distance resembles one of the 

 bunches of cobwebs, so commonly met with on trees and bushes. 

 The entrance, which is on one side, about half way up, is shaded by a 

 canopy, beautifully adapted to keep out the rains. The eggs, two or 

 three in number, are dingy little ovals. The ground colour is greenish 

 or greyish-white, usually almost obscured by greyish-brown or 

 purplish-grey ill-defined markings. They average 0'64 inch in length 

 by about 0*46 in breadth. 



256. — Lanius lahtora: Sykes. 



The Indian Grey Shrike breeds from March to early in July, but 

 the favorite month seems to be April, as I have found many more 

 nests in that month than in any other. The nest is generally placed 



