POMATOEIIINUS. 85 



uses no lining to its nest, but lays its eggs (three to five in number) 

 on the coarse grass of which the inside is composed. The eggs are 

 pure white, particularly thin-shelled, and consequently perfectly 

 translucent. They are found during the months of February and 

 March." 



Messrs. Davidson and Weuden, writing from the Deccan, 

 remark : — " Very comjnon along tops of ghats. D. got a nest with 

 two eggs in March." 



Mr. T. Fulton Bourdillon writes from Travancore : — " I have 

 been so fortunate as to obtain two nests of this bird lately, though 

 I have never found any before. The first contained three fresh 

 eggs on the 5th December last, and A\as situated in a bank on the 

 roadside at an elevation of about 3000 feet above sea-level. The 

 nest was very loosely made of grass, with finer kinds of grass for 

 the lining. I endeavoured to preserve it, but it fell to pieces on 

 being taken from its position, and I only succeeded in sa\ang the 

 eggs. As the bird, usually a very shy one, flew off on my approach 

 and remained close by while I was examining the nest, I have 

 no doubt of its identity. AVhether she would have laid more eggs 

 I cannot say, but I fancy not ; three seems to be the usual number 

 judging from the two clutches taken. The other nest I found on 

 the 8th of this mouth just completed. It was in much the same 

 position as the last, viz. a bank by the roadside, and as it was near 

 my bungalow I watched to see how the eggs were deposited. The 

 bird laid one egg each day on the 11th, 12th and 13th, and then 

 began to sit, so on the 15th I took the nest. When fresh the 

 eggs are beautifully pink from the thinness of the shell." 



Mr. J. Darling, junior, remarks : — 



" Mr. Davison makes a very good remark on the nest of this bird, 

 but 1 found one once under the roots of a tree at Xeddivattam, 

 and it was a most beautiful nest, built entirely of the fibrous bark 

 of the Nilghiri nettle, in the shape of an oven, with a hole to go in 

 at one side. It contained four pure white delicate eggs. Another 

 one found near the same place was of the same nature, only resting 

 on some fern-leaves and under a rock, and contained five eggs. 



" I found a nest down at Vythery, Wyuaad, in a hole in the bank 

 of a road, in December 1874, made entirely of broad grass, very 

 untidy, and containing three eggs." 



Mr. Rhodes W. Morgan writing from South India, says: — 

 " Breeds in April, constructing a neat domed nest of leaves on the 

 ground, at the foot of a bush. The nest is lined with fine grasses, 

 and almost always contains three eggs, which, when fresh, are of 

 a beautiful pink colour, owing to the yelk shining through the 

 shell, which is exceedingly fragile. The egg, when blown, is of a 

 very beautiful glossy white. If suddenly approached whilst on its 

 nest, this bird runs out like a rat, and flies when at a distance 

 from the nest. An egg in my collection measures 1*04 by '7 

 inch." 



The eggs sent me from the Nilghiris by Miss Cockburn and Mr. 

 Carter are nearly perfect ovals, usually much elongated, but some- 



