522 JOURNAL, BOMB A Y NA TURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XV. 



a hole in a tree, about ten feet up. There were four fresh eggs, pure white. I 

 found two other nests of the same species in precisely similar situations, one 

 was deserted and one building when I had to leave ; and I saw several other 

 pairs of the bird. 



Hemichelidon siBIEICA. The Sooty Flycatcher — This bird was exceedingly 

 common : six nests were found quite close to the camp and I saw many more, 

 chiefly building and only fresh eggs were found. .They build a remarkably 

 neat nest, very like an English Chaffinch's, and place it on a bough at varying 

 heights from the ground, generally near the junction with the trunk, but not 

 actually touching it. I saw only one nest placed against the side of a tree 

 trunk as described in Hume's " Nests and Eggs." The male often shows the 

 nest by feeding the female while sitting. All the eggs I saw agreed exactly with 

 Hume's description. 



Nucifeaga hemispila. The Himalayan Nutcracker. — These had all hatched 

 out and the young birds were in parties with the parents. I saw what I believe 

 to be the nest rather high up in cypress trees. 



». L. WHYMPEK. 



Jeolikote, U.P., 26th September 1903. 



No. IX.— SAND-GROUSE AND LOCUSTS. 



On the last day of the month of September a very large flight of Locusts 

 (Acridium peregrinuni) passed over the town of Sirsa coming from the 

 Bikaneer desert and flying in a north-easterly direction. The flight appeared 

 on the horizon in the form of a low fog bank, or sand-storm cloud, and 

 approached at the rate of about 8 miles an hour, taking from 8-15 to 10-35 to 

 pass over the town of Sirsa. Measurements taken of a number of the insects 

 gave the mean average length to be 3 - 26 over wings and 2 - G0 from forehead to 

 ovipositor. The flight passing over some open ground near the vfllage of 

 Khairpur, which is within a mile and a half of Sirsa, alighted in numbers and 

 this disturbed several large flights of the common sand-grouse (Pteroclurus 

 exnstus) which sometimes make this their morning meeting and drinking place, 

 the attraction being a canal that runs near and which constantly overflows and 

 forms small lakes. The birds after being disturbed, flew about over the top of 

 the locust cloud seemingly unwilling to leave the spot, but at the same time not 

 liking to alight on the ground, which from the vast numbers of the insects 

 assumed a red appearance, not unlike the red pebbly beach on some parts of the 

 Norfolk coast or the bottom of a Surrey gravel pit. A good bag of these hand- 

 some birds was made in consequence, the sand grouse wheeling above the 

 locusts, which kept to a height of about 40 to 50 feet above the ground. The 

 locusts fortunately do not seem to have done much damage as far as I can 

 ascertain, but after a short rest and feed, mostly on dry grass, passed on with the 

 main body. A quantity alighted on a Gul Mohr tree in my garden, and when 

 all the rest had vanished, these remained, but were soon put to flight with the 

 aid of an old kerosine-tin vigorously beaten. The common Sand-grouse has 



