314 Mr. R. W. Morgan on the Nidification 



be heard the livelong night in the breeding-season, which is 

 in March. The eggs are generally two in number, and are 

 placed in a slight depression in the gi'ound under some low 

 bush. The egg is rather a pretty one, being thickly blotched 

 with faint lilac and reddish brown on a salmon-coloured 

 ground. Length -98 inch, breadth -58. 



4. Caprimulgus kelaarti, Blyth. 



Like the preceding species, this breeds in March. The 

 eggs are lighter in colour, being of a pinkish InifF, blotched 

 with pale violet-brown. On one occasion I found the eggs 

 laid on a heap of ashes. The dimensions of one in my col- 

 lection are I'll inch in length by -82 in diameter across. 



5. Merops viRiDis, Linnseus. 



Breeds in river-banks in large numbers. There are large 

 colonies of Bee-eaters that breed annually on the banks of 

 the Kistna and Canary rivers. These colonies consist of M. 

 viridis, M. quinticolor , and M. philijjpensis. The two former 

 breed largely also on the Coonoor and Segoor Ghauts of the 

 Neilgherries. The small green Bee-eater generally lays five 

 eggs, which are very nearly round, and, like the eggs of the 

 rest of the family, of a pure and glossy white. The average 

 size is '74 inch in length by '65 in breadth. Breeds in April. 



6. CoRACiAS iNDicA, Liunseus. 



The Indian Roller breeds in March in holes of trees. 

 The tamarind and banyan are generally chosen for this pur- 

 pose. The eggs are usually two in number, and of a pure 

 and glossy white. There is no nest. In size the eggs average 

 1"39 inch in length by 1*13 in breadth. 



7. Megal^ma caniceps (Franklin). 



This Barbet breeds in the Neilgherries in March. It ex- 

 cavates a chamber in a decayed branch of a tree, and deposits 

 three beautiful white eggs on the chips at the bottom. Al- 

 most immediately after the young have flown it lays a second 

 batch of eggs, generally in the same hole — but if that has 

 been destroyed, in a fresh one, which it excavates in the same 

 or a neighbouring branch. In size the egg is 1*12 inch in 

 length by '9 in breadth. 



