A EST1 M • J N 1VESTERN INDIA 99 



present reason I have examined <> ; > nests; of these 28 contained four 

 eggs <>r young; 14 contained three eggs only, but in several cases 

 these were quite fresh, and possibly another egg would have been 

 laid had I not interfered with the nest ; the others contained one or 

 two fresh eggs only. In Poona I never found more than three 

 eggs in a nest. They build at various heights from the ground, in 

 low bushes as well as in trees. As a rule they will desert the nest 

 if it is only looked at, more especially if it is unfinished. 



I caught one of these Tits with a butterfly net, at Poona, about 

 the middle of September, as I wanted a specimen. About a fortnight 

 later, I saw another in the same place, feeding a young one and 

 teaching it to fly, and after a little searching I found a nest contain- 

 ing two others, so that the surviving bird must have hatched out and 

 reared the nestlings unaided. I left them unmolested, but watched 

 carefully to see if there was more than one adult bird, but from first 

 to last, I never saw more than one. The one I caught was a female. 



Poona, April io September. H. E. Barnes. 



Baroda, Jain and July. II. Littledale, B.A. 



Khandeish Ghats. July mid August. J. Davidson, C.S. 



645.— THE INDIAN GREY TIT. 



Par 'us nipaknsis, Hodgs. 



The Indian Grey Tit occurs sparingly at Mount Aboo, but does 

 not appear to descend to the plains below. It is altogether absent 

 from Sind, but is fairly common near Mhow and Neemuch, as also 

 in Western Khandeish. It is very common at Poona. 



They breed from May to August, rearing at least two broods in 

 the season. The nest is a mere pad, composed of hair, moss and 

 feathers, and is placed in a hole in a tree, wall, or bank. I once 

 found a nest in the muzzle of an old cannon, and another in a hollow 

 bamboo used as a rafter in the roof of an old outhouse. 



The eggs, four to six in number, are broadish ovals in shape, mea- 

 suring 071 inches in length by about - 54 in breadth. 



They are white in colour, pinkish-white when fresh and unblown, 

 with an irregular ring or cap of red spots and blotches at one end 

 (occasionally this ring is absent), with a sprinkling of purplish and 



