NESTING IN WESTERN INDIA. 253 



in the vicinity of Deesa, where alone I have had an opportunity of 

 observing; it is equally abundant with tiphiain West Khandesh, and 

 appears to straggle a good deal ; it breeds about the same time and in 

 the same manner as the Common Iora, but the only eggs I have 

 seen had the ground colour almost pure white, and the markings were 

 two shades of purplish-brown ; but I have no doubt, if a sufficiently 

 large series were examined, no constant difference would be detected. 



Deesa, June and July, H. E. Barnes. 



Dhulia, Khandesh, July. J, Davidson, C.S. 



469.— THE FAIRY BLUE BIRD. 



Irene puella, Lath. 



I have never had an opportunity of examining this bird in life, 

 and am indebted to Mr. Dividson, C.S., for the following interesting 

 note, which I reproduce in extenso : — 



" This, about the loveliest bird in the Bombay Presidency, is a 

 fairly common bird through the forests of Kanara, and I have often 

 seen five or six pairs in a morning's walk. The nests are, however, 

 very difficult to find. The first I obtained was in the end of March, 

 and contained two half-grown young. It was close to a river and a 

 road. The nest was about twenty feet from the ground, in a thin 

 tree, and was visible from any distance; it was a clumsy structure 

 of twigs, liued with fine roots, very much like the lining on Volvo- 

 civora sykesi, and there was a little moss round the outside. 



Another nest taken in the end of April was on a pollarded tree, 

 about fifteen feet from the ground ; it contained two fresh eggs, 

 and the nest was more neatly made, the twigs being bound round 

 outwardly with green moss. The egg or eggs (for one was broken 

 before it reached my hands) was of an olive-green colour, blotched 

 with brownish-olive. It somewhat resembled the egg of {Eudyna- 

 mis honor ata) the Common Koel, but was a good deal narrower. 



470.— THE INDIAN ORIOLE. 



Oriolus kundoo, Sykes. 



The Indian Oriole occurs pretty generally throughout Western 

 India, but is decidedly uncommon in Sind, and appears to be replaced 

 on the higher ranges of hills by the Black-headed Oriole. 



They are permanent* residents, breeding during May and June. 



* Mr. Davidson, C. S., says : — " A migrant, as far as I can judge, in Kanara, all 

 leaving the district isa May. 

 34 



