FEBRUARY. 
In this month the birds of prey continue to lay, while other kinds 
commence. The eggs of several swallows and martins may now be 
found. Parrots, woodpeckers, and other climbing birds are pairing, and 
even commence excavating the holes for their nests. Several kinds of larks 
have eggs, others are pairing and building. Doves, of course, are breeding 
in this as in every other month. The spotted doves, which are more regular 
than the others, are commencing to build, and the jungle bush quail 
are pairing in all parts of the country. 
In the Himazayas, the roc vulture, the lammergeyer, the black- 
capped falcon, the hawk eagles, buzzards, kites, and water ouzels 
have eggs, while the Jarge barred owlet and the common Indian 
bushchut are pairing and building throughout the range, and the red- 
capped tit and crested black tit begin to build in the eastern portions. 
The Himalayan magpie in all probability has eggs in this month. 
In the Punsgas, the vultures, falcons, eagles, Pennant’s scops 
owls, the hoopoe, the grey shrike, the streaked scrub warbler, and 
the raven have eggs throughout the month, and the rufous grass warbler, 
the common quail, the big bustard, and in some places the common 
heron are building their nests. 
In the NortH-west Provincss, the laying season is fairly beginning. 
In addition to the vultures, falcons, eagles, &c., no less than seven 
kinds of owls have eggs. Swallows and martins begin laying ; so do 
also the parrots, the purple honey-sucker, the flower-peckers, the 
streaked wren warbler, the bow-billed corby, the house sparrow, the 
finch larks and sand larks, the emerald dove, the ringed plover and 
the stone plover : and besides these, the following kinds should be watched 
as they commence building their nests, and possibly laying also during 
this month :—the Indian scops owl, the palm swift, the rose-headed 
parroquet, the chestnut-bellied nuthatch, the common woodshrike, the 
brown-backed robin, the black bushchat, the common quail, and the 
spur-winged plover. The common heron too begins building in parts of 
Oudh, and the river terns and scissor bills are now congregating on the 
islands, where in the next month they will breed. 
In Benaat., the eggs of the long-billed vulture and white-bellied sea 
eagle and changeable hawk eagle, and brahminy kite may be taken. 
The common sand martin is still laying. The yellow-fronted wood- 
