Birds of Luc know. 543 



have never seen nor heard it at other times. It is far 

 from common ; but its rich mellow notes attract attention 

 at once. I have only met with it in two or three 

 localities. It breeds in the Martiniere Park, and in some 

 of the baghs, or gardens, towards the city, during the latter 

 part of May, June, and July. 



The nest, which is most difficult to discover, I have found 

 twice only. On June 10th, 1898, in a so-called ^'^cork^' 

 tree, I found a nest with two eggs. Unfortunately, in 

 climbing up, the latter were shaken out of the shallow pad — 

 I did not know the sheet trick in those days — and all I got 

 were the fragments. A third e^^, taken from the same nest 

 two days previously, was given to me. It measures -81" X 

 •65". Two other eggs in my possession measure v7" x "59" 

 and 'SO" X •60" respectively. In colour they are all of a rich 

 deep green, thickly blotched and streaked longitudinally 

 with greenish brown. 



The nest is a very flat shallow pad of twigs, rootlets, bark, 

 lichens, &c., and much resembles that of Graucalus macil, 

 only it is a little smaller. 



No. 510. Graucalus macii. Large Cuckoo-Shrike. 



Khaki Popiya [H., teste Reid]. Tree-Plover, Rain-bird 

 [Anglo-Indian boys] . 



The Large Grey Cuckoo-Shrike is fairly common in 

 Lucknow, and often as many as half a dozen are to be seen 

 together. Its flight is undulating, with a few rather rapid 

 strokes of the wing every now and again. Often, when 

 driving along a road lined with trees, one, or possibly two, 

 of these birds have kept me company for a mile or more, 

 flitting on from tree to tree just ahead of the tum-tum. The 

 nest is a shallow pad of fibres, roots, twigs, cobwebs, &c., 

 very small for the size of the bird, and perhaps one of the 

 most difficult to find, as the owner is exceedingly chary of 

 disclosing its whereabouts. I first found one on a small 

 pepul, but the bird deserted it. This was in March. On 

 June 12tli, 1898, I took two fresh eggs from a nest in the 

 fork of a sheshum tree close to the road in the Martiniere 



