BrtlD-NEStlNO ON THE GHATS. 179 



slightly-set eggs. They were almost round, of a beautiful China 

 white, with dark magenta blotches aud lines scattered over them. 



A few hundred yards further on two similar nests were found — one 

 empty, and one containing five fresh eggs. The stupid boy however 

 broke one in bringing; it down. 



A heavy shower of rain now came on, and in the narrow gorge wo 

 were in it was too dark to see anything, and we were fairly driven in. 



The morning of the loth was fine, and 1 drove a couple of miles 

 down the pass and searched all the jungles on the left side of the road 

 downwards. Birds were numerous, and I obtained two nests each with 

 four eggs oiC. tickelU, two nests, with one and five eggs respectively, 

 of Pitla brachyiira, as well as two empty nests of the same bird, 

 one of Alcippe poiocephala with three eggs, and one oiMyagra azurea t 

 also with three eggs, and one or two of Zosterops palebrosa. 



All these birds were noticed again and again, though Alcippe poio- 

 cephala is much commoner 50 or 60 miles further south. One of the 

 Bhils also knocked over with a stone a fine specimen of the Rufous 

 Scops Owl (S. sunia) y if it is really distinct from S. pennata It is 

 a full grown male, and only measured 6'1 in length. I noticed many 

 specimens of Scops bakhamuna^ the Grey Scops Owl of this district 

 and the Satpuras. They are however very much larger birds, measur- 

 ing from 8 to 9 inches. The Rufous Owl I have only found in this 

 Ghat and during the rains. The evening I devoted to endeavouring to 

 watch specimens of Pants nipalensis and Machlolophus aplonotus 

 to their nests. The former was very common; the latter scarcer. 

 I watched both pairs and single birds ; but in that thick green jungle 

 I invariably lost sight of them in some thick tree, and whether they 

 had entered a hole or merely flown on to another tree I am to this day 

 no wiser : I certainly found no nests. 



On the morning of the 14th I took a lot of Bhil3 and walked 

 down the nullah, taking the same ground I had gone over 

 on the Monday. This is really much the best part of the jungle, 

 and I was disappointed at its barrenness. I took the eggs, now 

 three in number, from the nest of M. azurea, and got also 

 a couple of nests of C. tickelU. In one however the eggs were ready 

 to hatch. I did not disturb them, and the other was only building. 

 I also found a nest containing three nearly full-grown young and 

 one addled egg of G. cyanotis. This Thrush is not common here, and 

 this seems in this part of the country about its northern limit, and it 

 is only a migrant, arriving in the rains; it is however common enough 



