62 PET BIRDS OF BENGAL 



though just after the breeding season it is 

 sometimes seen in small parties, for the 

 fledgelings stay a pretty long time with 

 the parents. 



The Indian Robin mates from March to 

 August, and builds its nest in all sorts of 

 queer places. Spaces in stacks of bricks, 

 holes in the ground or buildings and window- 

 sills are given great preference. 

 Nests and j^ig-^-^gg^ i^^^.^y^ ^^^g^^ railway cutt- 

 Eggs 



ings, roots of trees, old watering 



pots in a shrub, or even pieces of cloth hang- 

 ing in a tree — serve well for its nest-building. 

 The nest is a mere pad of grass roots, vege- 

 table fibres, and a host of heterogeneous 

 materials, lined with feathers, human or 

 horse-hair, and often fragments of snake - 

 skin. Khus-khus and onion peels have 

 been found in the nests. The eggs are four 

 in number. Their sfround-colour is white 

 faintly tinged with either green, pink, pale 

 brown or oream-colour, green being the 

 most common. The markings are speckles 

 of different shades of reddish brown, but 



