NESTING IN WESTERN INDIA. 243 



either two or three, and I have found two eggs, hard set. They are 

 in some respects not unlike a common type of Thamnobia fulicata, 

 being greyish-white, thickly mottled with numerous very fine spots 

 of various shades of brownish-purple. 



404.-THE SOUTHERN SCIMITAR ^BABBLER. 



Pomqtorhinus horsfieldi, Sykcs. 

 As its trivial name implies, this Babbler only occurs in the 

 southern portion of the Presidency on the slopes and at the foot of 

 the Sah}^adri Range, where it is stated to be a permanent resident. 

 I can find no authentic record of its nest having been taken within 

 our limits,* but elsewhere they breed from April to May, making a 

 large globular nest of roots, grass, and moss, the moss being prin- 

 cipally used as a lining ; it is placed on or near the ground, under 

 the shelter afforded by a clump of grass or bush. The eggs, three 

 or five in number, are somewhat elongated ovals in shape, and are 

 smooth spotless white in colour ; they measure 1'08 inches in length 

 by about 077 in breadth. 



404fer.— HUME'S SCIMITAR BABBLER. 



Pomatorhinus ohscurns, Hume. 

 The differences between this bird and the Southern Scimitar Bab- 

 bler are slight, and it requires a cai'ef ul examination to distin- 

 guish them from one another. It is very common on Mount Aboo 

 and on the hills in the neighbourhood, and specimens sent to 

 Mr. Hume, from the borders of Khandesh and Nassick, as horsfideli, 

 by Mr. Davidson, were identified by the former as this bird. Person- 

 ally he doubts their distinctness, as also do I. He has taken nests 

 on 'the Ghats bordering between Khandesh and Nassick in April. 

 The number of eggs in all cases was two, and the nests seemed to 

 him to be slighter built than the rough nest he has seen of 

 horsfieldi. 



No Scimitar Babbler of any kind has as yet been recorded from 

 Sind. 



I found a nest at Mt. Aboo in the middle of June, nearly com- 

 pleted, but had unfortunately to leave before the eggs were laid. 



It was a loose ball of coarse grass, and was placed under a clump 

 of ferns. 



* Since the above was written, Mr. Davidson has informed me that he took a 

 nest in the Varna valley, Satara, in April, containing two fresh eggs. 



