Birds of Lack now. 565 



residentj frequenting gardens and jungle where there are 

 flowers, but eschewing, as a rule, more barren ground ; it is 

 not, I tliink, very fond of mango-groves, though occasionally I 

 have found it nesting in those trees. It breeds from February 

 to June; according to my experience, chiefly during the 

 earlier part of that period. The nest is a pretty little egg- 

 shaped ball, with a hole in the side near the top, over which 

 there is an awning or portico. It is formed of grass, cob- 

 webs, hair, &c., and is always ornamented with the 

 excreta of caterpillars. As a rule, it is suspended from a low 

 twig two or three feet from the ground, but occasionally it is 

 placed much higher. The usual number of eggs is two, but 

 three are often found. They are greenish or brownish 

 white in colour, thickly spotted and marked with various 

 shades of brown and grey. 



Average of 15 Luclmow eggs ■G3"x "44" 



Measurement of largest eg^ -67" x '45" 



,, smallest egg -58'' x "42" 



No. 919. ^Dic^UM ERYTHRORHYNCHUM. TickelV s Floivev- 

 pecker. 



White Honey-sucker [Anglo-Indian boys] . 



This little bird was overlooked by Reid, and I only dis- 

 covered it by means of the Martiniere boys. Ever since I 

 had commenced collecting in Lucknow, I had been told of 

 the " "White Honey-sucker,^^ which made a nest like the 

 Purple Sun-bird and laid white eggs. For a long time I 

 was incredulous, but on March 13, 1900, two boys, J. Green 

 and L. Jackson, shewed me a nest with one e^^. It was a 

 tiny grass ball, with a hole in the side, suspended beneath 

 some mango-leaves. I waited for some time, but did not 

 see the bird. Eeing convinced, however, that it could belong 

 to no other species, I took the nest, as it was almost certain 

 to be found by some other sharp-eyed youngster. On 

 March 10, 1901, Green shewed me another nest ready for 

 eggs. Unfortunately the two birds, which were watching us, 

 deserted it, and all that I got was the empty fabric. This was 

 situated in a bel-tree, about five feet from the ground, and, 

 like the other, was most cleverly concealed. In fact the 



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