GALERITA. 



239 



iiiitiiral or artificially scraped out by the birds themselves, is filled 

 in with grass of two kinds, a coarse quality for the outside, aud a 

 finer for the inside. jS^o other material is used, and the grass is 

 somewhat loosely put together, lu shape the nests are rather 

 shallow cups, with an internal diameter of about 2| inches. Nests 

 formed on the bare ground are fully exposed to view ou three 

 sides, but are invariahlij shaded or sheltered on the remaining side 

 by a stone or chip of rock, which is sometimes more, but never 

 less, than double the height of the nest from the ground. The 

 only Crown-crests' nest I have found without this tlauking stone 

 was placed under cover of thin grass. There is one distinction 

 between all the nests of the Crown- crested Larks and the TincL- 

 Lark (both of uhich species breed at the same time with us) that 

 I have observed, and that is, that while the Crown-crest's nest is 

 always placed in a depression of the ground, the Finch-Lark's nest 

 ah^ays rests on the level surface. The latter certainly scrapes up 

 all round its nest a tiny embankment or rampart of loose stones 

 and crumblings of rock, but never makes or chooses any ready 

 made hollow or depression. I am aware that this distinction does 

 not hold good in other localities, but all the nests I have found of 

 P. grisea as yet have been placed on more or less bare sheets of 

 rock, where excavation would be difficult, and hoof-prints im- 

 possible. Of course, the nests of the two species can never be 

 mistaken one for the other, as those of P. grisea are nuich smaller, 

 and are invariably lined with shreds of wool (probably stolen from 

 the blankets of cowherds). 



" Out of eight Ciown-crests' nests examined and recorded, J 

 have never found more than three eggs. In one instance only I 

 found two hard-set eggs. The eggs vary considerably in shape, 

 size, and markings, but those found in one nest are always of the 

 same type. The prevailing ground-colour is a dull Mhite, and the 

 markings vary from bold irregular blotches of earthy-brown and 

 inky-purple to minute freckles of pale brown. The following is a 

 record of the dates ou which eggs were found : — 



" Oct. 



Nov. 



" It is not unusual to find single eggs of this species prema- 

 turely laid on the bare ground before any nest has been prepared. 

 I have watched such eggs from time to time, but have never found 

 a second egg laid in the same place. Miss Cockburn states 

 (Rough Draft) that S. malabarica never sings on the wing ; I 

 think this must be a mistake. I have heard this bird myself sing- 

 ing as it soars hundreds of times, and Mr. Fairbank, in describing 



