i&fcARY] so] 



JOURNAL 



OF THE 



BOMBA 



y 



lattpl IfeimtS 



No. 1.] 



BOMBAY, 1890. 



[Vol. V. 



NESTING IN WESTERN INDIA. 

 By Lieut. H. E. Barnes. 



{Continued from page 255, Vol. IV.) 



475.— THE MAGPIE ROBIN. 

 Copsychus miilaris, Lin. 



The Magpie Robin is another species that appears to be rare, if 

 not altogether absent from Sincl; it occurs sparingly in Guzerat, 

 becomes much more common in the Deccan, and is most abundant in 

 Ratnagiri and the Southern parts of the district generally. 



As a rule they are permanent residents where they occur, but 

 I never succeeded in finding a nest in the neighbourhood of Deesa, 

 but Mr. Littledale has found several at and near Baroda. In all the 

 other parts of Western India it is a common breeder. 



The breeding season lasts from early in May to about the middle 

 of July, but nests may be found both earlier and later than this. 



The nests are generally placed in holes in trees, occasionally in 

 holes in walls, &c, and are composed of grass roots, vegetable fibres, 

 moss, &c. It is a shallow saucer in shape, often a mere pad, and 

 the eggs, five in number, sometimes only four, much more rarely six, 

 are as a rule oval in shape and pale greenish-white in colour, but 

 are subject to much variation both in shape and colour; they are 

 1 



