4 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1890. 



at the smaller end, and are greenish -white in colour, thickly speckled, 

 spotted, streaked, and freckled with reddish and yellowish-brown. 

 These markings usually form a more or less irregular cap at the larger 



end. 



They average 072 inches in length by rather more than 055 in 



breadth. 



480.— THE NORTHERN INDIAN ROBIN. 

 Thamnobia cambaiensis, Lath. 



The Northern Indian Robin breeds in exactly the same way as the 

 Indian Black Robin and about the same time. 



The eggs, three in number, are moderately elongated ovals in shape 

 and pointed at one end ; they vary very much both in the ground colour 

 and character of the markings, but the usual type is greenish -white 

 closely freckled, or stippled with reddish-and yellowish-brown. 

 Others are more or less boldly streaked and spotted with bright red- 

 brown, with an occasional underlying spot of pale inky-purple. 

 Creamy-, bluish-, and pale brownish-white varieties are not uncom- 

 mon. One clutch I have is most beautiful, being of a pale sea-green 

 colour, with a few large blotches of faint pinkish-purple and clayey- 

 brown. Had I not shot the bird from the nest, I should have been at 

 a loss to identify the eggs. They measure about 79 inches in length 

 by about - 59 in breadth. 



1 81. —THE BLACK STONE-CHAT. 

 Pratincola caprata, Lin. 



The Black Stone-Chat or White-winged Black Robin is a common 

 permanent resident throughout the district ; it however almost disap- 

 I K ;ii- from some parts during the breeding season, which extends 

 from April to June. 



They build flat saucer-shaped nests, composed of grass, fine roots, 

 vegetable fibres, &c. It is, as a rule, placed in a hole in a bank, or 

 well ; occasionally, however, they build in bushes, but even here the 

 nest actually touches the ground. I once found a nest in a small 

 heap of rotten grass. 



They are much more common on the hills than on the plains, 

 mure especially during the breeding season. 



