MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 907 



rewarded me with nests of the Spotted Babbler {Pellorneum ruftceps) and the 

 Small White-throated Babbler {Dumetia albigularis). We did, elsewhere in the 

 hill, find nests of Dicrurns ccerulescens, the Large Cuckoo Shrike (Grancalus 

 macii) and the Paradise Fly-catcher (Terpsiphone paradisi") and Mr, Campbell 

 found a nest of PeVomeum ruficeps containing 3 eggs. Doubtless the foliage on 

 the hill, combined with the want of it elsewhere, and the comparative seclusion 

 of the forest, are the main attractions. In any case the birds assembled there 

 in considerable numbers and afforded us much interest. 



I have much pleasure in sending the first nest found together with the 

 eggs and two specimens of the bird to the Society's museum. I have to thank 

 Mr. Campbell for kindly curing the skins of the birds. 



P. EOSCOE ALLEX. 



Bellary, QthiJune 1908. 



[Since the above was received from Mr. Roscoe Allen, a previous note on the same bird by 

 Col. C. L. Wilson, R. A., dated Mhow, C. I., 19th May 1906, has been found. This note had 

 been mislaid and runs as follows : — 



" Referring to No. 302, Pycnonotus xantholoemus the following is my note from my 

 diary : — 



" Shot and identified one of these Bulbuls at Bellary, Madras, on 13th June 1901. 



1 noticed quite 20 pairs frequenting the rocky halls. Took a nest of Bulbul on 



23rd June 1901, 2 eggs much incubated, only one preserved. Shallow nest of 



very coarse twigs — bound together with cobwebs and lined fine fibres— the whole 



a heavy, clumsy, structure quite unlike an ordinary Bulbul's nest. The 2 eggs 



it contained were white with a very slight gloss — blotched and marked with 



purple and brick red, the markings forming a very decided ring round the 



larger end." 



I took these Bulbuls at first for No. 305, P. luteolus until I 'shot a specimen when the 



species was beyond doubt, yellow throat and yellowish green crown, see Key, p. 286, Vol. 



I., Birds, Fauna of B. J. 



Subsequently a clutch of 3 eggs was brought to noe purporting to be No. 302, but they 

 are doubtful, as 1 did not see the parent bird. From my observations, early June and July 

 would seem to be the breeding season. — C. L. Wilson. — Eds.] 



No. XL— NESTING OF THE SPOT TED- WINGED GEOSBEAK 

 (MYCEROBAS MELANOXANTHUS) IN THE MURREE HILLS. 



I am writing to record in the Journal the finding of the nest and eggs of the 

 Spotted-winged Grosbeak (HJycerobas melanoxanihus) in this place two days ago. 

 Col. Rattray does not mention the bird in his " Birds nesting in the Murree 

 Hills and Gullies " in Vol. XVI., Nos. 3 and 4 of the B. N. H. Society's Journal, 

 and as there is no description of the nest and eggs in the Fauna of British 

 India, the following may be of interest : — 



Nest was in a Yew tree about 15 feet from ground on side of a steep hill, 

 built on a branch towards the end, composed of a base or platform of twigs 

 from the silver fir (Abies webbiani) on the top of which was a cup-shaped 

 nest of moss laid with maiden hair stems and fine roots ; diameter of nest 3i", 



