Indian Birds 



A dull inconspicuous brown bird. It fre- 

 quents buildings and is robin-like in its habits. 

 As it hops about it continually bobs its head. 

 The cock sings a sweet little lay. The nest is 

 made up of dried grass and placed in a niche 

 or on a ledge in an outhouse, or a mosque, or 

 even an inhabited room. It is made of dried 

 grass and roots, and falls to pieces if lifted 

 from its foundation. The eggs are pale blue 

 blotched with reddish yellow. 



Found in Punjab, Rajputana, U. P., and 

 C. P. ; very common at Lahore. 



65. Ruticilla rujiventris : The Indian Red- 

 start. (F. 644), (J. 497), (I.) 



Cock : Each feather of the head, breast, and 

 upper plumage is black, fringed with grey, so 

 that after the autumn moult the cock is dark 

 grey in these parts ; but gradually the grey 

 edges wear away, so that by the spring the 

 head, neck, and upper parts of the cock look 

 black. The rump and the feathers over the tail 

 are reddish chestnut. The abdomen is orange- 

 red. All the feathers of the tail are reddish ex- 

 cept the two median ones, which are brown. 



Hen : Reddish brown when the cock is 

 grey or black ; otherwise like the cock, except 

 that the red in her plumage is duller. 

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