292 Manual of the Game Birds of India. 



Maldah, chooses to make the bird an 

 object of special pursuit, he should have 

 no difficulty in procuring as many as 

 would be necessary." 



To the above, I may add some notes 

 published by Mr. F. A. Shillingford in 

 the " Asian " some years ago. He writes : 

 — " During the cold weather, November 

 to March, the Pink-headers remain in 

 flocks varying from six to thirty, or even 

 forty birds, in the lagoons adjoining the 

 larger rivers, and have been observed by 

 myself in considerable numbers in the 

 southern and western portions of the dis- 

 trict, that portion of Eastern Bhaugalpur 

 which lies immediately to the north of 

 the river Ganges and south-western parts 

 of Maldah. They come up to the central 

 or higher parts of the Purneah district 

 in pairs, during the month of April, begin 

 to build in May, and their eggs may be 

 found in June and July. The nests are 

 well formed (made of dry grass interspersed 

 with a few feathers), perfectly circular in 

 shape, about nine inches in diameter and 

 four or five inches deep, with three- to 

 four-inch walls, and have no special 

 lining. The nests are placed in the centre 

 of tufts of tall grass, well hidden and 

 difficult to find, generally not more than 



