Birds of Lucknow. 483 



May o neet and 3 eggs (hard-set). 



May 31 „ 3 ,, (fresh). 



June 20 „ 3 „ „ 



Juiyso „ 3 „ 



July 29 „ 3 young (jijst hatched). 



Average measurement of the above 12 eggs "SI" X "62" 



Measurement of smallest egg -77" X '60" 



„ largest egg -88" X 75" 



Theeg:gs, like those of A. malcolmi and Crateropus canorus, 

 are glossy blue, without spots, and often very round. 



No. 107. Argya malcolmi. Large Grey Babbler. 



Bhaina [H. Lucknow] . White-tailed Magpie [Anglo- 

 Indian boys] . 



It is most curious that Reid should not have found this 

 species in Lucknow. It seems very capriciously distributed 

 over Northern India, being absent in many places and 

 numerous in others without any apparent cause. It is 

 not a bird that can be overlooked by an ornithologist, for 

 its cry, which is very harsh and characteristic, betrays it at 

 once, and, as it flies, the whitish colour of the lateral tail- 

 feathers is most conspicuous. I find it common in certain 

 spots — the La Martiniere Park being one — and take nests 

 every season. I have found eggs on dates too numerous to 

 mention between March 3rd and June 30th. The greater 

 number of nests have been on babool-trees, in which case they 

 are always solid structures of thorn carefully lined with grass. 

 I have also found the bird breeding on the mango and the 

 sheshum, when the nest lacked its outer covering of thorn, but 

 was always a neater structure than that of Crateropus canorits. 

 The full number of glossy blue eggs is four, but three young 

 are not uncommon. 



On March 21st, 1896, I found a nest of this bird at 

 the top of a mango, containing three fresh eggs and one 

 hard-set. The latter was blunt at both ends like a Dove's, 

 the blue tint was much deeper, and I am certain that it 

 belonged to the Common Hawk-Cuckoo {Hierococcyx varius). 

 Unfortunately it has mysteriously disappeared from ray 

 collection. 



SER. VIII. VOL. II. 2 k 



