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No. 16. Lithofalco Chiquera Davupin. 
Tue TooRuMTEE. 
The Toorumtee breeds in February, March, April, and May ; 
the majority, I think, laying in March. I have, as yet, obtained 
no egg earlier than the loth February, or later than the 15th 
of May, and all those obtained in May, were from the Punjaub, 
where many birds breed later than in more southern parts of 
the country. 
They nest, I believe, exclusively on trees: I have seen no 
record of their building on rocks, as so many of the Falcons 
often do, and I once took a nest in the Siwaliks, in a Peepul 
tree, at the foot of a cliff, full of ledges and boulder holes, which, 
had the bird any sort of inclination for such localities, would 
have been sure to have attracted it. 
Where such occur, they prefer large trees, Peepul, Mango, 
and ‘Tamarind, (more commonly the two latter) usually 
selecting one of a small group, standing by itself. In the 
Puyjaub, and Rajpootana, where large trees are scarce, their 
nests may be found on mere bushes, not above 10 feet from the 
ground. 
The nest is generally, firmly fixed in a fork near the top of 
the tree, and is typicaily a very neat, compact and characteris- 
tic structure; it is usually circular, some 12 inches in diameter, 
and from 6 to 9 inches in thickness, with a deep egg cavity, 
some 5 to 6 inches in diameter, and from 3 to 3:5 in depth; but 
1 have seen some nests comparatively thin platforms with only 
a depression of 1:5 to 2 in depth, towards the centre. The lower 
portion of the nest is constructed of pretty stout twigs, of various 
kinds of wood, closely put together; the upper portion of finer 
twigs, still more closely interwoven. The egg cavity or depres- 
sion, 1s lined with fine roots, or vegetable fibre, the roots of the 
Khus grass (Andropogon Muricatum,) being commonly chosen 
for this purpose ; along with straw, a few feathers, and occasion- 
ally a shred or two of cloth. The lining being firmly inter- 
twined, with the twigs, forming the walls of the cavity. 
These birds make, I think, their own nests, fresh and fresh 
every year—l have repeatedly seen them building new nests, in 
trees containing very nice last year’s nests of Crows and other 
birds, and though I have very often looked them up again, I 
have not, as yet, ever found a nest tenanted by the oorumtee 
during two successive seasons. - Both sexes assist in building, 
and they make no little fuss about the placing of each twig that 
