The Nesting of the Indian White-eye. 229 



cei-taiuly more snaky about the head and neck, and a lioldcr bird than 

 its mate. Above it is giolden -olive -yellow, Ijrighter on the chin and 

 throia;t; wings and tail dark brown with greenish-yellow margins; 

 breast, abdomen, and flanks whitish-grey; lores and a Small area 

 below the eye black; a nai'row ring of pure white feathers surrounds 

 the eye, from which it takes its popular name " White-eye." Bill 

 blackish Avith base of lower mandible bluish; iris golden-haze], 

 legs plumbeous. Total length 4.2 inches, tail If. 



Their distribution is every portion of India from Murree 

 in the Hazara country to Sadiya in Assam, and southwards on 

 the one hand to Ceylon and the Nicobars, and on the other to 

 the neighbourhood of Bhaino in Upper Burma. In the Hima- 

 layas this species is found up to 7,000 feet, and it occurs all 

 over the higher liill ranges of Southern India (Gates). 



In a state of nature it loreeds according to locality 

 from January to September, but April appears to be the month 

 in which most nests may everywhere be found. The nest is 

 a very delicate little cup made of vegetable fibres and cobwebs, 

 suspended in a fork of a small branch at all heights from the 

 ground. The eggs are generally two in number and pale blue 

 without marks, but occasionally some eggs may be met with 

 marked at the larger end with darker blue. Size .62 by 

 .47 (Gates). 



In conclusion I may remind my readers that the pair of 

 birds described herein came from the Bakloh (Punjal)) district, 

 and to refer them to what has already been written about this 

 charming and dainty species in Bird Notes — see Vols. VIII. 

 and I., N.S., and current vol., principally by Captain Perreau. 



As regards the aviary accommodation these 'birds have 

 had, this 'is I think sufficiently indicated in the photo and plan 

 reproduced herewith, and here I will only add to the key of 

 plan to state that there is abundance of cover, the flight is 

 12 feet high, the elder, hawthorn and hazel referred to had to 

 be topped, and have spreading branches extending 8 feet inside 

 the aviary, besides which there is an apple and several larch 

 trees, whose top shoots are already through the netting of top 

 of flight, and that the docks, mallow, cowparsley and meadow 

 grasses have supplied the species confined herein with an 

 abundance of wild seeds and insect life. 



In this same aviary there are living together in amity 

 with the little Zosterops and each other generally, the follow- 

 ing species : — 



