318 JOURNAL, B0M2.AY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1890. 



breeding during the hot weather. As a rule the nest is placed in 

 a hole in a tree, generally the hole is a very small one, entailing a great 

 deal of cutting before the eggs can be got at. They sit very close; on 

 one occasion I had been cutting and chopping for over half an hour 

 when, to my surprise, the old bird forced her way out, through the 

 chips that had fallen into and partly blocked up the hole ; there 

 were thi'ee partly incubated eggs in this nest. Occasionally they 

 nest in holes in steaie walls and buildings. 



At Hyderabad, Sind, their favourite nesting place is in the bulb 

 at the top of the iron lamp posts in camp, a locality I should never 

 have suspected, had it not been, for Colonel Butler's remarks to the 

 same effect in Btmy Feathers. It was a difficult matter to get at 

 the eggs, but by means of an old crooked spoon, I used to manage it : 

 the nests are composed of grass and straw ; the eggs, three in 

 number, are moderately elongated ovals in shape, pointed a little 

 at one end, and are much smaller than those of the common sparrow, 

 much more so than the relative size. of the birds would .seem to 

 warrant. 



They measure 0'73 inches in length by about 0"54 in breadth, 

 I have not noticed any great variation in size. They are greenish-* 

 white in colour, streaked and blotched with purplish -brown, 

 sometimes almost black. Occasionally an egg may be found that 

 is fairly light, but as a rule they are dull, dingy, brownish-black, 

 the markings being so thick and dense tba4 very little of the ground 

 coloiir is visible;, 



72Gta — THE STf; [ O l, AT F/h BT'NTTXO 

 Btiibenza stiHbldtd', Ijicht. 



I have only once met with tin's bird, and that was. on a bare stony 

 hill-side about fifteen miles from Neemuoh. The bird was sitting on 

 an empty nest, which was placed under the shelter afforded by a 

 clod of earth, It was composed at the bottom of small twigs and 

 grass roots, lined with fine grass and a few feathers. 



I had the spot carefully marked, and ;» week later, I sent a native 

 who was with me when I found it. back for the eggs, but he 

 somehow managed to smash them all. They wei*e three in number. 



Mr. Hume, in " Nexts "and Ee/f/s of Indian Birds, " page 463, 

 gives a good account of the nesting of this bird, which is too long 



