70 FEBRUARY. 
pecker has eggs, while the palm roof swift in the Garo hills, the red- 
breasted parroquet, the common woodshrike, and the red jungle fowl 
in the sub-Himalayan tracts are pairing off and preparing their nests. 
Here too the river terns and scissor bills are congregating. 
In Centra Inp14, the vultures and the brahminy kite, probably 
also the owls, and whatever species of eagles are found there, have eggs 
still. The cliff swallow and dusky crag martin are hatching their first 
brood. The pied kingfisher, the crimson-breasted barbet, the amethyst 
rumped honey-sucker, the Indian amadavat, and the finch-larks have 
eggs throughout the month, while the painted spur fowl, and probably 
also the flower-peckers, nuthatches, ‘woodpeckers, parrots, larks, and 
some plovers are pairing. The river terns and scissor bills will alse 
probably congregate here too in this month. 
In Souruern Inp1A, the breeding season is by this time further 
advanced than in the north. The kestril has eggs throughout the month 
in the Nilgiris. In the far south, eggs of the booted eagle may be taken, 
and also those of the common kite, the Nilgiri nightjar, the golden- 
backed woodpecker, the Nilgiri flower-pecker, the velvet-fronted 
nuthatch, the quaker thrushes, babblers, laughmg thrushes, bulbuls, 
and bluebirds throughout the peninsular. In the Nilgiris the eggs of 
the white-eyed hill tit may be found, and the Indian grey tit, the 
jungle mynah, the crested larks, green pigeons, doves, jungle fowl, 
spur fowls, grey partridges, and bush quail are also sitting. In the 
extreme south the eggs of the snake bird, and possibly some other water 
birds, may still be found, but the season for them is virtually over. 
The following kinds are also commencing to pair and build their nests, 
and should be watched particularly towards the end of the month :— 
The southern sirkeer, the little pied (flycatcher) shrike (Hemipus 
picatus), the spotted wren babbler, the black bulbul, the robins, bush 
chats, Nilgira tit lark, long-tailed treepie, and Nilgiri sky lark. Of these 
latter the eggs have not as yet been taken before the beginning of March. 
