12 Mr. J. Davidson—^ Short 



in the neighbourhood of the nest, were very shy. When, 

 however, the nest was approached anywhere within a hundred 

 yards or so, the female appeared, sometimes accompanied by 

 the male, and both kept in the vicinity of the searcher ; and 

 when the nest itself was discovered there could be no doubt 

 as to the owner, as the female invariably appeared and kept 

 moving about in the bushes within half a dozen yards, uttering 

 a loud chattering cry. 



We found nine or ten nests, all similar, and placed in low 

 bushes, generally about one or one and a half feet from the 

 ground, and not in the least concealed. They were thick, 

 deep cups, made of rough grass ; one measured six inches in 

 diameter outside, and two and three quarter inches inside, 

 while the depth inside was four and a half inches. Inter- 

 nally they were lined with a few dead leaves, some fine grass, 

 grass-roots, and a few feathers, and were most untidy struc- 

 tures. In all cases in which a full clutch had been laid the 

 number of eggs was three ; these were of a deep dark blue 

 and unmarked, and varied somewhat in size. In one case 

 we found two eggs of the usual type, and a pale blue egg 

 considerably larger; this was no doubt an egg of Cuculus 

 canorus, one of which kept constantly in the neighbourhood, 

 frequently lighting on the tops of the little patch of bushes 

 in which this nest was. There were two other nests of 

 Hocl(jsonius in the same place, i. e. within a couple of hundred 

 yards, one just finished and one containing a single egg; but 

 unfortunately we had to leave next day, and so could not 

 find out whether, as 1 think is likely, the Cuckoo laid eggs 

 of a similar blue colour also in these nests. In the published 

 description of the male of Hodgsonius by Gates no mention 

 is made of the white feathers on the tip of the wing ; these 

 are very noticeable when the bird is alive, but in dried skins 

 are pretty well concealed by the other feathers. 



15. ZosTEROPS PALPEBROSA (Tcmm.). 



Only noticed once in Kashmir, at Garhi, in the Jhelum 

 Valley. 



IG. Cephalopyrus flammiceps (Burton). 



This lovely little bird we found moderately common at 



