152 JOURNAL, BOMBA Y NA TDRAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIX. 



Grosbeak" which he had located. It was built on a slender branch of a Yew- 

 tree on the side of a steep hill, and contained three beautifully marked eggs. 

 The female, which sat very close, was shot by Captain Skinner ofE the nest. I 

 will leave the description of this interesting nest and clutch of eggs to him, as he 

 is sending an account of them to this journal. This Grosbeak was rare, though 

 on the 2.Srd of June I came across, in one spot, in Dunga Gali, quite a number of 

 them. The note is a pleasing, mellow and rather oriole-like whistle resembling 

 the syllables " Tyop-tyQ " or " Tyop-tyo." Sometimes preceding or following 

 this note is a remarkably human note like the exclamation " ah " when 

 pronounced with an ascending inflection. When flying there is a note like 

 " Charraruk. " The unripe fruit of " The "Wild Cherry tree " is eagerly 

 devoured, and the berries of Viburnum faitens also form part of the dietary 

 of these Grosbeaks at this season. 



772. llypacanlhis spinoules (The Himalayan Greenfinch). — The very heavy 

 and almost incessant monsoon of the present season in the Punjab Himalayas 

 probably frustrated all attempts at nesting on the part of the luckless 

 " Himalayan Green finch." The birds were rather rare and I only saw two or 

 three pairs. Captain Skmner found one or two washed out nests at Dunga 

 Gali. 



805. Chelidon kashmiriensis (The Kashmir Martin). — In the verandahs of 

 bungalows in the vicinity of the water tanks in Murree " The Kashmir 

 Martin " now breeds in considerable numbers. As in the case of the Martins 

 in Thandiani, I feel almost certain that " The European House Martin " occurs 

 in some of these colonies. In one house in Murree where the present species 

 started nesting operations, the nests were destroyed and cleared away daily, 

 but the unfortunate birds were still attempting to build when I left at the 

 end of August. What becomes of the eggs under such circumstances it 

 would be hard to say. At Changla Gali several Martins had their nests in 

 the Dak bungalow, but these were not visible, the birds utilizing holes 

 between the wall and the sloping roof. This was also the case with some birds 

 in Dunga Gali and in Thandiani. Whether this habit is the result of the 

 constant destruction of nests, or the difficultj^ in procuring mud (I do not think 

 the usual mud nests are built in these holes as I never saw mud being carried 

 in) in the hills, especially in a dry breeding season like the present, it is 

 impossible to say ; but such adaptation (if it be the case) of nesting habits to 

 circumstances must tend greatly to the preservation of the species. 



822. Hirundo nepalensis (Hodgson's Striated Swallow'). — This year " Hodg- 

 son's Striated Swallow," nested in at least one bungalow near the water tanks 

 in Murree. 



946. Gecinus squamatus (The Western Himalayan Scaly-bellied Green Wood- 

 pecker).— The call of " The Western Himalayan Scaly-bellied Green Wood- 

 pecker" is a wild sounding note like " Klee-gu." When hunting for food a 

 constant " tjapk," " tjupK," " tjupk," *' tjapk " note is kept up. This note, 

 rapidly repeated, constitutes the alarm cry. This Woodpecker prefers the more 



