Z - COKVIDjE. 



visitant, aud I could not learn that they breed there, nor have I 

 ever known of one breeding anywhere east of the Jumna. Even 

 in the Delhi Division of the Punjab they breed sparingly, and one 

 must go further north and west to find many nests. 



The breeding-season lasts from early in December to quite the 

 end of March ; but this varies a little according to season and 

 locality, though the majority of birds always, I think, lay in January. 



The nest is generally placed in single trees of no great size, 

 standing in fields or open jungle. The thorny Acacias are often 

 selected, but 1 have seen them on Sisoo and other trees. 



The nest, placed in a stout fork as a rule, is a large, strong, 

 compact, stick structure, very like a Eook's nest at home, and like 

 these is used year after year, whether by the same birds or others 

 of the same species I cannot say. Of course they never breed in 

 company : I never found two of their nests within 100 yards of each 

 other, and, as a rule, they ^vill not be found within a"quarter of a 

 mile of each other. 



Pive is, I think, the regular complement of eggs ; very often I 

 have only found four fully incubated eggs, and on two ' or three 

 occasions six have, I know, been taken in one nest, though 1 never 

 myself met with so many. 



I find the following old note of the first nest of this species that 

 I ever took : — 



"At Hansie, in Skinner's Beerh, December 19, 1867, we found 

 our first Eaven's nest. It was in a solitary Keekur tree, which 

 originally of no great size had had all but two upright branches 

 lopped away. Between these two branches was a large compact 

 stick nest fully 10 inches deep and 1.8 inches in diameter, and not 

 more than 20 feet from the ground. It contained five slightly 

 incubated eggs, which the old birds e^•inced the greatest objection 

 to part with, not only flying at the head of the man who removed 

 them, but some little time after they had been removed similarly 

 attacldng the man who ascended the tree to look at the nest. 

 After the eggs were gone, they sat themselves on a small branch 

 abo\e the nest side by side, croaking most ominously, and shaking 

 their heads at each other in the most amusing manner, every now 

 and then alternately descending to the nest and scrutinizing evei-y 

 portion of the cavity with their heads on one side as if to make 

 sure that the eggs were really gone." 



Mr. W. Theobald makes the following note of this bird's nidifi- 

 cation in the neighbourhood of Pind Dadan Khan aud Katas in 

 the Salt Eauge : — 



" Lay in January aud February ; eggs, four only ; shape, ovato- 

 pyriform ; size, 1-7 by 1-3; colour, dirty sap green, blotched \\ith 

 blackish brown : also pale green spotted with greenish brown and 

 neutral ; nest of sticks difiicult to get at, placed in well-selected 

 trees or holes in cliffs." 



I haAC not verified the fact of their breeding in holes in cliffs, 

 but it is Aery possible that they do. All 1 found near Pind Dadan 

 Khan and in the Salt Eange \Aere doubtless in trees, but I explored 

 a very limited portion of these hills. 



