NOTHS ON THE BlliUii OF AM HA LA DISTRICT, PUNJAB. 673 



sandy plains of the inoro desert portions of the Punjab. 

 Beavan however notes that *' this species is particularly abundant 

 about Ambala whore I procured several tine examples about tht- 

 station in October 1800.'' 



1 found a nest with 3 moderately incubated eggs on an 

 island of the IJiver Sutloj above the Kupar headworks on 21 st 

 March, and also procured 4 hard set eggs from a nest at 

 Morinda on 31st March, 



473. The Bay-backed Shrike— iawms vittatiia, Val. 



"The moat abundant and characteristic shrike near Ambala, 

 and it apparently extends some little distance up the hills."' 

 (Beavan.) 



Met with in small numbers and generally distributed through- 

 out the winter until my departure on the 20th April. 



476. The llufous-backed Shrike — Laniiis crythronotus (Vig.) 



f^rom November till the middle of Aj ril this si rikc was found 

 to be commonly distributed throughout the plains portion of 

 the district. One was also seen in a nallah near Kalka on 29th 

 December. Beavan states : " This species extends as far as 

 Ambala, where I procured a fine specimen on the 26th 

 October 1866." 



479. The Fale-Brown Shrike — Lanius isahellinus, Ehr. 



A single specimen was observed near Morinda on 12th 

 December. 



481* The Brown Shrike — Lanius cristatus, L. 



Included in Dr. Scott's list with the remarks "very rare here." 



448* The Common Woodshrike — Tephrodornis pondiceviantiR (Gmel.) 



Common and generally distributed throughout the district, 

 even extending a short way into the foothills above Kalka where 

 I saw one on 10th March. They seemed to become more 

 abundant in March, but perhaps this increase was more 

 apparent than real and due to the birds being more noisy 

 during courtship as the number noticed wa3 normal again by 

 the end of the month. Nests with eggs were found on 16th 

 and 28 h March. During the winter these woodshrikes often 

 collect into parties and flocks. 



Beavan's note on the species is as follows :— 

 " I have since observed this species at Ambala, and killed my 

 first specimen there on 30th October 1866 in a garden. On the 

 morning of November 9th, I procured 2 more from near the same 

 spot ; so that the species is evidently not uncommon there, 

 although from its peculiarly quiet and silent habits it is likely 

 to escape observation, and indeed had done so in the case of 

 Dr Scott, who told mo it was the first time that he had ever 

 seen the bird." 



495* The Short-billed Minivet — Fen'crocotus brevirostris (Vig.) 



"In the cold weather it apparently migrates to as far as 

 Ambala, in the plains ; for Dr. Scott told me that he had fre- 

 quently procured specimens there, as I myself did, in his 

 garden, in November 1866. From his notes it would seem that the 

 species leaves the plains for the hills about the end of February 

 or the beginning of March, breeds in the hills in June, and 

 returns to the plains at the beginning of the cold weather, in 

 September and October. Some examples, however, were seen 

 20 



