LANIUS. 



307 



quently only repairs one that has served it in the previous season, 

 and even at times takes possession of those o£ other species. 



The nest is composed of very various materials, so much so that 

 it is difficult to generalize in regard to them. I have found them 

 built entirely of grass-roots, with much sheep's wool, lined with 

 hair and feathers, or solidly woven of silky vegetable fibre, mostly 

 that of the putsuu {Hibiscus cannabimis), in which were incorporated 

 little pieces of rag and strips of the bark of the wild plum (Zizij- 

 phusjujaha) ; but I think that most commonly thorny twigs, coarse 

 grass, and grass-roots form the body of the nest, while the cavity is 

 lined with feathers, hair, soft grass, and the like. 



Generally the nests are very compact and solid, 6 or 7 inches in 

 diameter, and the egg-cavity 3 to 4 in diameter, and 2 to i2| in 

 depth, but I have come across very loosely built and straggling 

 ones. 



They have at times two broods in the year (but 1 do not think 

 that this is always the case), and lay from three to six eggs, four 

 or five being the usual number. 



Mr. F. E. Blewitt, writing from Jhansie and Saugor, and de- 

 tailing his experiences there and in the Delhi Districts, says : — 



" The Common Indian Grey Shrike breeds from February to July; 

 it builds on trees ; if it has a preference, it is for the close-growing 

 roonj tree {Acacia leucophlmi). I have particularly noticed this fact 

 both here and at Gurbi Hursroo. The nest in structure is neat 

 and compact (though I have occasionally seen some very roughly 

 put together), and generally well fixed into the forks of an off- 

 shooting branch. In shape it is circular, varying from 5 to 7g 

 inches in diameter, and from Ig to 3| inches in thickness ; thorn 

 twigs, coarse grass, grass-roots, old rags, &c. form the outer 

 materials of the nest, and closely interwoven fine grass and roots 

 the border-rim. The egg-cavity is deeply cup-shaped, from 3^ to 

 5 inches in diameter, and lined with fine grass and khus ; excep- 

 tionally shreds of cloth are interwoven with the khus and grass. 



" On one occasion I got a nest with the cup interior entirely 

 lined with old cloth pieces, very cleverly and ingeniously worked 

 into the exterior framework. Five is the regular number of eggs, 

 though at times six have been obtained in one nest. The birds 

 often make their own nests each year, but this is not invariably the 

 case. When at Gurhi Hursroo in February last, I found on an 

 isolated roonj tree four nests within a foot of each other. The 

 under centre one, an old Shrike nest (the other three were of other 

 birds), was occupied by a Shrilve sitting on five eggs. I very care- 

 fully examined it, and my impression at the time was that the 

 parent birds had returned, to rear a second progeny, to the nest 

 constructed by them the year previous. 



" I do not know whether you have noticed the fact, but both 

 L. lalitora and L. erythronotus often lay in old nests, of which they 

 first carefully repair the egg-cavity with new materials. It is n Dt 

 only, however, in old nests of their own species that these birds 

 make a home in the breeding-season. At times they take pos- 



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