246 BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



438.— THE STRIATED BUSH BABBLER. 



ChatarrJicea caudata, Dum. 



Except in Ratnagiri and the more southern portion of the Presi- 

 dency, the Striated Bush Babbler is extremely common, breeding 

 more or less the whole year round, making a deep, cup -shaped nest, 

 much more neatly and compactly built than that of any other 

 Babbler I am acquainted with. 



It is composed of grass roots and stems, occasionally unlined, but 

 usually well lined with fine grass and hair. The nest is placed in 

 the centre of some low thorny bush, such as a stunted babool. 



In Sind, the wild caper bushes that are so common on the hillocks 

 and ridges of wind-blown sand, are generally selected, but even here 

 the babool bushes have their share of nests. The eggs, three or 

 four in number, are longish ovals in shape, and in colour are bright 

 spotless blue or greenish blue. They measure 0'84 inches in length 

 by about 0*63 in breadth. 



439.— THE STRIATED REED BABBLER. 



ChatarrJicea earlii, Blyth. 

 Within our limits the Striated Reed Babbler only occurs in suit- 

 able places in kind, where it is a permanent resident, breeding from 

 March to September, and having at least two broods in the year. 

 The nest, which is rather massive and cup-shaped, is composed of 

 broad grass leaves and roots, and is placed in close-growing reeds or 

 low bushes. The eggs three or four in number, are bright bluish 

 green in colour, and in shape are longish ovals, somewhat piuched 

 in at one end. They measure '96 inches in length by about 0*73 

 breadth. 



Hyderabad, Sind, March to September. H. E. Barnes. 



Eastern Narra, Sind, March to October. S. B. Doig, Esq. 



440.-THE STRIATED MARSH BABBLER. 



Megalurus jpalustris, Hors. 



Mr, Davidson found this bird in the islands in the Taptee in 

 Khandesh, from November to May, and is certain it bred there. 

 Whether it stayed or not during the rains he does not know ; he 

 never found a nest. 



Elsewhere they breed during May and June, making a somewhat 

 globular nest with the entrance near the top ; it is composed entirely 

 of coarse grass, and is placed in a dense cluster of reeds or grass. 



