NESTING IN KASHMIR. 635 



the Rewal Nullah, Siud Valley, on 6th June. The bird flew out and 

 was shot, otherwise the nest would certainly have escaped observation. 



199. Hodgsonius phcenicuroides. — Hodgson's Short Wino'. — The nest 

 of this bird (not described by Gates) was found by my brother on 13th 

 June at Sonamerg. I found another nest on the 18th, but unfortunately 

 empty. The female was shot off the first nest and the male laler. The 

 nest was placed in some low brushwood, on the side of the hill linino- 

 the Sind Valley. It was situated about l|ft. above the ground, and 

 consisted of a massive cup-shaped structure, the cup measuring 2^" 

 across and 2" in depth. It was built of coarse grass and leaves, lined 

 with fine grass or vegetable fibre and a little hair and feathers. The 

 eggs, 3 in number, slightly incubated, were of a deep greenish-blue 

 colour, in texture firm, and with a slight gloss. They averaged 'Si" X 

 •64". 



We saw several pairs of these birds about Sonamerg. They were 

 not very shy, but kept to undergrowth, dodging and skulking about 

 in it, and seldom remaining still for more than a few seconds. 



284. Molpastes leucogenys.~ysh.\iQ Cheeked Bulbul.— Common. 

 Eggs during May in the Sind Valley. 



341. Certhia himalayana. — Himalayan Tree Creeper. — This bird 

 was common at Sonamerg in June. We found several nests mostly with 

 young, in that month, in holes in trees, and one nest with 3 incubated 

 eggs on the 11th June. The normal number of eggs seems to be 3. 



352. Anorthura neglecta. — The Kashmir Wren. — Found 3 nests of 

 this bird in June at Sonamerg, one with young, one empty, and on the 

 20th one with 5 fresh eggs. This nest was built in the roots of a ireQ 

 overhanging the Sind River. It was of the usual Wren type and 

 consisted chiefly of moss lined with hair and feathers. The bird was 

 sitting at the time and hovered around whilst we were there. The 

 eggs were white, finely spotted with brick red. 



363. Acrocephalics stentoreus. — The Indian Great Reed Warbler. 



Numerous in the reeds which cover some of the lakes and jheels in 

 Kashmir. Numbers of eggs were taken in June and July. 



367. Acrocephahis agricola. — Paddy-field Reed Warbler. — This bird 

 was found breeding by us on a large marsh near Sumbul on July 11th. 

 The nest differs considerably from the description given on page 360 of 

 Blanford, and the eggs do not appear to have been previously recorded. 



