71 
the rocks of the Mata Pahar, overlooking the Sambhur lake ; 
still in those parts of the country with which I am best acquain- 
ted, the N. W. Provinces, Oudh, and the Punjaub, I believe the 
majority breed upon trees. When built on trees, the nest is 
usually a large and massive one, some 2 feet in diameter, if 
circular, or if, as is more common, oblong in shape, some 2°5 feet 
in length by 1°5 feet in breadth, and fully six inches in thick- 
ness.* It is composed of twigs and small sticks, at times with- 
out any lining, and at times lined with a little grass, or straw, 
or even leaves. Occasionally the nest is very much larger than 
I have described, but it will then generally be found that the 
bird, instead of building a nest of its own, has taken possession 
of, and repaired, one of some other bird. Near Bhureh on the 
Chumbul, a pair took possession of a nest that for the two 
previous years had, to my knowledge, been always occupied by 
our Indian ring-tail eagle (H. ZLeucoryphus) and Mr. W. 
Blewitt who took five nests of this species im January and 
February, in the neighbourhood of Hansie, remarks, that in 
every case, the Falcon had taken possession of, and more or less 
repaired, a deserted nest of the common eagle (A. Fulvescens). 
The repaired nests were all on Keekur trees (the favourite 
par excellence, of A. Fulvescens) at heights of from 17 to 24 feet 
from the ground. Three of these nests contained five eggs, a 
very unusual number. There was no mistaking either eggs or 
birds, all of which Mr. Blewitt kindly sent me. 
Where the bird selects a recess or ledge in a cliff’s face for 
nesting, a large nest is rarely made, a few handfuls of sticks, 
just enough to prevent the eggs rolling about, with a few 
feathers, accidentally or purposely intermingled, is all that is 
usually met with in such situations, and I have twice taken the 
eggs laid on the bare earth in a slight depression, without 
one particle of stiek, grass or feather near them. 
The normal number of the eggs is four ; but, while five are occa~ 
sionally found, the bird often sits on only three ; and once I took 
two eggs, ready to hatch off, out of a very old pair’s nest, that in 
former seasons had always contained the full number. In 
colour, the eggs vary much, as indeed do those of all true 
~ Falcons. The usual type is a reddish, brownish, or yellowish 
brown ground, very thickly speckled and spotted all over, with 
a darker and richer shade of the ground colour. The spots are 
often more crowded at one end than the other, producing occa- 
* It appears to be a general rule, with birds that build sometimes on 
trees, and sometimes on rocky ledges, that their nests in the former situation 
are always deeper, more cup-like and more massive, than when in the latter, 
