778 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XII. 



No. XXIV.— OCCASIONAL NOTES ON BIRDS' NESTING 

 IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF POONA. 



Though probably of no scieutiBc value, a few rough notes on Birds' Nest- 

 ing round Poona may prove of interest to some, this tempts me to record 

 my experience. 



Returning from leave from England in March of the current year, I "was 

 posted to this station. As soon as 1 was comfortably settled in, I began adding 

 to my collection of eggs. Unfortunately the species in this vicinity do not 

 vary, in any great degree, from those I have come across in other places 

 where I have happened to be quartered, still, I have been enabled to more or 

 less complete my collection in some species in which I was weak. 



The Yellow-thkoated Sparrow {^GymiiorMs flavicola). — Though this bird 

 breeds freely here, I was only able to add one clutch to my collection. I 

 found many nests, as a rule, tenanted by a family. Holes in trees seem to 

 be the favourite nesting site. They also teem to follow the practice of their 

 genus in Hyderabad, Sinde, and occupy hollow lamp posts. The late Lieute- 

 nant Barnes drew attention to this peculiarity. 



The Indian Black Robin (ThamnoUa fuUcata). — The common Robin of 

 Poona, every house in Cantonments having a pair or two in its compound. 

 This bird is not over particular in the selection of a site for its nest, in the 

 eaves of a house, a hole in a bank, on the ground in a hedge, in fact any- 

 where. The site par excellence, however, is an old tin pot or article of 

 similar character ; should such exist, especially in some out-of-the-way or 

 secluded spot, it is sure to be seized upon as a home wherein the young 

 Robin can be brought up. There is an old kerosine tin in my compound 

 with a little rubbish at the bottom, in one corner of which these birds builL 

 their home. One brood was successfully reared. As soon as it was old 

 enough to shift for itself, the nest was put in order again, and fresh eggs laid. 

 In due course, a second family was hatched but misfortune overtook its mem- 

 bers, for one night they disappeared. I hoped they would try a third time, 

 if they did, they selected some other site, for this one was not requisitioned 

 again. I have found several nests in tin pots, which must prove very .warm 

 places to raise a family in, especially as the breeding season extends from the 

 end of March to July, the heat, at times, must be terrific, I find these birds 

 very wary, they seem to understand instinctively when you are on the look 

 out for their nests and at once assume a most unconscious air. 



The King Crow {Dicrurus ater). — The only remark I wish to make about 

 this bird is that a pair commenced a nest in my compound towards the end of 

 April : four eggs were laid but only one bird was successfully reared. On 

 the r2th July, I found a second had been built on exactly the same site, and 

 that again only one youngster had been raised. 



The Bay-backed Shrike {Lanius vittatus).— Very common here, found many 

 nests mostly in May. One pair of these birds selected a most public site 



