BIRD-NESTING ON THE GHATS. 181 



the foot of the Ghat, and had sent the Bhil boys down the night before. 

 The morning was however very wet, and it was past eight before 

 I started. It was still wetter when I reached my destination, and 

 I was glad to take refuge in a dharamshalla. About half-past ten it look- 

 ed a little clearer and I ventured out, and by twelve it was quite fine. 

 Everything was however soaking wet, and naturally I got very little. 

 I found one nest of Dumetia albogularis with four fresh eggs. This 

 bird I found in great numbers last year ; but it was much scarcer this 

 year, and I only got one other nest with hard-set eggs. The nests 

 are placed on the ground, and are quite round, composed of long dry 

 grass, the entrance being at the side. With the exception of a nest, 

 with one egg, of Alcippe poiocephala, all the nests I found on this 

 occasion were of common birds, and there were fewor birds and nests 

 at the foot of the Ghat than along the sides of the nullah higher up. 



The 16th was my last day, and I walked along the road for a couple 

 of miles and then took the other side of the valley. I twice heard the 

 mournful wail of a Ground-thrush. The bird's cry in the breeding 

 season resembles that of a young Spotted-owl, and no one would ever 

 dream it was the cry of a Thrush. I found the nest of one pair, but 

 the eo-o-s were not vet laid. In the other case I could find no nest, 

 though the birds kept flying round and round me, and I think I exam- 

 ined every possible tree. The neighbourhood of this second nest 

 (for there must have been one)was a very good place for nests. Within 

 100 yards I saw a brood of Buchanga ccerulescens just able to fly, and 

 also one of Oiiolus melanocephalus, while on an adjoining tree there was 

 another nest of this Oriole with two slightly-set eggs. It was a very 

 deep cup on the end of a thin branch, and though in cutting the 

 branch to get at the nest it got turned at right angles to its proper 

 position, the eggs were uninjured. I do not think this nest belonged 

 to the same pair as that which had young ones flying. 



These Orioles are very common here, and I found four nests : one was 

 new and empty ; from another the birds had just flown ; while the 

 remaining one contained one fresh egg. The bird would no doubt 

 have laid more ; but to get at the nest I had to cut the branch off, 

 and it was only then I discovered that only one egg had been laid. 



On the very next tree to the one with this bird's nest was an empty 

 Thrush's, and 20 yards off a nest of the Common Ghat-babbler 

 (M. malabarkus). This bird never seems to leave the jungles, and as soon 

 as cultivation begins on the top of the Ghat is replaced by Argya mal- 

 colmi. The nest in question contained one fully-fledged young Hawk- 



