AKACHNECHTIIKA. 257 



" In eujht or nine days (I am not quite certain which) I took 

 them out of the box and attempted to blow them, and in doin- so 

 broke them both, when to my utter astonishment I found that 

 each contained a living chick, ahnost ready to hatch. 

 _ "The temperature of the room in which they were left varies 

 in the daytime from 88° to 90° P., and at night from 79° to 



" I have often and often left incubated egi^s of different species 

 on my table tor two or three days before blowing them, but never 

 before, on extracting the contents, have I found the embryo alive 

 unless in the case of an egg quite recently bj'ought in/' 



On the general subject of the nidification of this 8un-bird at 

 Deesa, he says:-"The Purple 8un-bird breeds in the neighbour- 

 hood of Deesa ail through the hot weather, often assunnn- the 

 breeding-plumage as early as December. I took nests this year on 

 the toliowmg dates : — 



"Peb. 10th, 1876. A nest containing 2 fresh eo-o-g 



"J^eb.28th. „ „ 2 fresh eggs. 



"Ma^^-'ilSth. „ „ 2 fresh eggs. 



"March 19th. „ „ 2 fresh eggs. 



"March 22nd. „ „ 2 fresh eSs. 



" Mavlo'tf • " " I f^l''^ ^"^"^^^^^^ ^-^S^- 



tt J -'^^"' n „ 2 fresh eggs. 



"May 11th. „ „ 2 freshens. 



" In addition to the above-mentioned I took a nest containing 

 two fresh eggs on the 18th June, 1875, at Mount Aboo, and 

 many others during the hot \Aeather, which I have not mentioned 

 Ihe nests and eggs are so well known that it is unnecessary for 

 me to describe them. They often select odd places to build in 

 In several instances I have found nests suspended from pieces of 

 string hanging from the roofs of houses." 



Writing of Eajputana in general, Lieut. H. E. Barnes remarks • 

 " Commences to breed in March, and nests may be foundquite 

 up to the beginning of the rains." 



Miss Cockburn remarks that in the Nilghiris they generally lay 

 in January. " Their nests are composed of cob\Aeb stuck thickly 

 oA^er with small pieces of dried leaves ; the whole forms a neat 

 oblong hanging nest, the entrance being at one side towards the 

 top, over which there is a little canopy, which gives a look of 

 snugness and security, as if not a drop of water could enter the 

 abode. The interior is warmly lined with the down of seed-pods 

 and the whole construction is generally attached to the extremity 

 ot a small branch, which the slightest breath of air puts in 

 motion." 



c.r?f^''r?^°^®^ ^' M^^'^^"' ^^I'iting from South India, says :— 

 " The Purple Honey-sucker builds a nest very similar to the pre- 

 ceding {^ectarophila zeyJonica). It breeds both on the plains and 

 m the hills, ascending the Nilghiris to an elevation of 0000 feet. 

 The nest is composed of small twigs, pieces of grass and leaves 

 and is lined with the down of thistles and silk-cotton. It is 



VOL. II. j^y 



