88 JUNGLE FOLK 



ties are of considerable interest, for they must some- 

 times Jorm the starting-points for new species. They 

 are also responsible for some of the discrepancies which 

 occur in the accounts of the species by various ob- 

 servers. The nesting season is from June to September ; 

 August for choice, in India. The eggs are pale pink, 

 heavily splashed with red, quite in keeping with the 

 beautiful plumage that characterises the adult bird. 

 Sometimes the eggs of purple coots are placed under 

 the barn-door fowl. Young porphyrios hatched under 

 such conditions become quite tame and form a pleasing 

 addition to the farmyard. 



