ADI)1TI0NA.L AVIARV NOTES 331* 



For a long time I did not see them making 

 any attempt at nesting. Late in July, on the 

 27th, I saw the female perched on the top of 

 a long bamboo-pole. Entering the aviary, I 

 went up to the pole but the bird did not move. 

 Curious to see what made the erstwhile sh\' 

 bird so indifferent to my proximity, I brought 

 a ladder and placing it against the pole, climbed 

 up to discover the bird sitting in a beautiful 

 nest. The top of the fat pole had a slight 

 depression in the middle. Around this depression 

 the bird had created a wall of soft grass and 

 the cavity had been upholstered with very fine 

 coir-fibres. That very day the two birds m^ited 

 in my presence. The restless male was in evident 

 heat. It was following the female everywhere. 

 They were first on the ground. The hen sudden- 

 ly flew up to the nest. The male came up to 

 her with a loud note and perched on the edge of 

 the nest. The female moved off and flew on 

 to the top of a hanging cage. The male followed 

 her there with a strange guttural sound and, with 

 mouth agape, attempted to pair. The female 

 however, slipped down to the ground. The cock 

 followed and, alighting at a little distance, made 

 a quick run towards the hen. When close up 

 to her side the cock opened his mouth again and 



