1917-] Nidification of so77ie Indian Falconidce. 355 



outer parts and a good lining of roots and fern-stalks for 

 the inside. The nests form very stout, warmly-built cups, 

 with a deep, well-shaped receptacle for the eggs, and are far 

 superior in finish to the nests of these same Crows else- 

 where. So far as could be seen, all the Sparrow-Hawks 

 ever did to the nests when adopting them for their own use, 

 was to add a few green leaves to the lining ; further repairs 

 Avere generally unnecessary, the nests having been so well 

 and compactly built in the first instance. 



This, my first nest, was obtained in the highest part of 

 the bird's breeding-range, but my next one was found at the 

 lowest elevation of its breeding haunts, and formed in every 

 way also a contrast to it. It was taken in a patch of 

 deciduous forest, dividing two strips of mustard cultivation 

 on the banks of the Kopili stream, and the elevation could 

 not have been over 300 feet above sea-level. The trees at 

 tlie time we discovered the nest were still very bare, and 

 high up in one of them, conspicuous for a great distance in 

 every direction, was an old nest of a Brahminy Kite {Hali- 

 astur Indus). I had passed this nest several times on 

 previous days, but it was so obviously old and battered, 

 that I had not troubled to examine it until my attention 

 was attracted to it by seeing a Sparrow-Hawk settle on the 

 tree, and finally seat herself on the nest. A closer inspec- 

 tion then showed that the Hawks had repaired the inside of 

 the nest quite neatly and had added a lining of small twigs 

 and leaves, in which reposed four slightly incubated eggs. 



Dr. H. N, Coltart took several clutches of this little 

 Hawk's eggs in Margherita, Assam, but, so far as I know, 

 all these were taken in the broken hilly ground north and 

 east of Margherita and none in the actual plains, where, 

 however, the bird was common enough in the cold weather. 

 A clutch of five was found by him on two occasions, but 

 here, as elsewhere, the normal full clutch consisted of either 

 four or three eggs. 



Two nests which were taken whilst I happened to be 

 staying with Dr. Coltart were both stick nests of some kind, 

 and looked to me more like those of the Imperial Pigeon than 



