74 
no more plausible explanation of what seems to me a very re- 
markable fact. Mr. R. Thompson furnishes the following in- 
teresting remarks, in regard to this species : 
“This Falcon breeds on lofty trees; usually on one, with others 
standing near it, in open cultivated country ; even when it is a 
forest bird, it chooses such parts as are tolerably open, with wide- 
ly spreading glades ; but habitually it prefers open localities. 
“A nest found in open forest country, south of Lall-dang in the 
Provinces of Kumaon, on the 5th February, 1868, was up to that 
date unfinished, though both the Falcons were present. The 
male, I observed carrying small twigs and roots to the female, 
who seemed the architect. This nest was begun in a large 
Semel tree (Bombax heptaphyllum) on the forked branch of one 
of the principal lateral arms, and might have been 40 feet 
from the ground. The nest was about 24 feet in diameter, with 
the egg cavity about ten inches. The inside was lined with 
small fine roots and bruised dry leaves, evidently such as had 
been attached to the twigs, which composed the body and foun- 
dation of the nest ; on the 27th March succeeding, the nest was 
again visited. The Falcons were out at the time, it being about 
the middle of the day. On aman ascending the tree, both birds 
quickly appeared, and the male, which appeared an old adult, 
made the first swoop at the man climbing, passing within a 
few inches of his head. 'The female (which appeared not to have 
east her nestling plumage) then followed, making her attacks 
with more vigour and determination. We found three eggs, one 
addled and two a good deal incubated. 
“The eggs were dull white, closely blotched with chocolate 
brown spots, very irregular in detail, coalescing in parts, and then 
forming stains. One egg appearing a rufous brown with an 
indistinct ground colour only visible. 
“Size. Length, 2 inches; breadth, at greatest diameter, 14 
inches, shaped very like one of our Indian hen’s eggs, to which it 
approximates in size. /”. Jugger, within the sub-Himalayan tract, 
breeds, as has been stated before, on the open dry forest lands, 
skirting the lowest range of hills, and is particularly found in the 
vicinity of the larger, dry, sandy beds of torrents which drain 
them. In the Terai, however, where it is tolerably moist and 
swampy, I have also occasionally known the birds to breed. 
“In Dehra Dhoon, many years ago, a pair always nested in a 
large single tree of the Udmus integrifolia (Dhoul papree or Kun- 
joo of natives). Hach year saw the couple at the same tree, and 
as an instance of intelligence and memory, I may mention that 
when as a lad I used to take my gun and Dogs out to shoot Quail 
(Coturniz communis) which abounded there in the grassy plains, 
