988 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIX. 



lower plumage ashy-white without a ti-ace of yellow." He continues "the 

 females of the iwo species are indistinguishable." 



In my birds the ear-coverts and cheeks of the cocks " out of colour " wei-e 

 ashy white rather than pure white and the lower plumage of the hens (especi- 

 ally the upper parts of it if I remember rightly) deserved (when in cokur) a 

 higher attribute to the yellow than pale ashy. I have a kind of recollection 

 that my Chitral hens were distinctly yellow underneaih, but cue cannot ccimt 

 much on memory for so many years back, unless the lemini^ctnce is lacked 

 by some special reason. Bright "reds" in the cock often find their counter- 

 part in yellows in the hen, but surely it seems curious (with passerine birds) 

 that such a dingy colour as sishy grey (in the cock) shouLl be replaced by pale 

 ashy yellow (in the hen). I own to not having seen P. rutiluns, alive or 

 dead. 



This is a good deal longer than I intended, but I hope that colour theorists 

 at any rate will find somethiaw of interest in it. 



G. A. PERREAU, Oapt., P.Z.S. 

 Bakloh, Punjab, 30i/i August 1909. 



No. XV— THE NESTING OF A FEW SOMEWHAT RARE 

 BIRDS NEAR MHOW. 



The Indian Pitta {Pitta brachyura)— When going down the ghats, near 

 Mhow, in July 1908, I came on this beautiful biid. I knew, therefore, it 

 must be breeding and I determined to find its nest. I had an idea that this 

 was located low down in brushwood. It was not, however, till Jun^ 19C9,that 

 I proved successful My happy hunting ground is a bit of level ground, very 

 glade like in appearance, at the bottom of the ghats, V'Z., tallish trees, slight 

 undergrowth but not sufficient to impede one's view early in the monsoon, but 

 larter very rauk and thick. The Pitta is a very shy bird and does not give one 

 much time to watch him. I knew there were a certain number in this parti- 

 cular locality, as I had seen them flitting about, but how many pairs there 

 were I never could settle. 



My method of birds' nesting is to mark down the nests while being bnilt. 

 I know more or less when the season of the various birds come round. I then 

 watch them. If nesting one very soon spots it by watching, it is not long before 

 the nest is betrayed. I have pursued this system with marked success. The 

 great advantage of it is that one gets fresh clutches. 



It was my intention to follow this practice with the Pittas. I visited my 

 happy hunting ground on two consecutive Sundays early in June, and met with 

 success. On these occasions, I left the Pittas alone, as I fancied they did not 

 breed till July, On the 27th June, having collecled eggs from several nests, 

 marked down the previous Sunday, I turned my attention to the Pitta, and 

 told my orderly, who accompanied me to keep a sharp look-out. I had not 

 proceeded very far when I saw an untidy mass of twigs on the fork of a teak 



