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up-country. In Upper India, where it is comparatively rare, 
it almost invariably makes its nest in the neighbourhood of 
water, building a rather large, loose, stick structure, scarcely if 
at all distinguishable from the common Kites, (I. Glovinda,) high 
up on some large mango, tamarind or peepul tree. The nest 
which is from eighteen inches to two feet in diameter, and from 
three to five inches in depth, with a rather considerable depres- 
sion internally, is sometimes perfectly unlined, at other times, 
has a few green leaves laid under the eggs, as in an Hagle’s nest, 
but most commonly is more or less lined, or has the materials 
of the inner part of the nest intermingled with pieces of rag, 
wool, human hair, and the like. 
Most commonly only two eggs are laid, but three are by no 
means uncommon, and one of my correspondents notes finding 
four in one nest; a very unusual number. 
The eggs vary in shape, of course, but typically are very 
perfect moderately broad ovals, only slightly compressed to- 
wards one end; as a rule they are smaller, and as far as my 
experience goes, far less richly coloured than those of I. Govinda. 
The ground colour is greyish white, sometimes unspotted, 
but dingy, sometimes feebly speckled and spotted, at times 
towards one end only, with pale dingy brown, and sometimes 
scantily blotched and spotted with reddish brown. In size, the 
eges vary, from 1°89 to 2°28 in length and from 1°5 to 1:79 in 
breadth, but the average of 15 eggs measured was 2°07 & 1°63. 
Mr. G. Marshall, R. E. says of this species, ‘‘ Breeds in the 
Saharunpoor District. I saw a female on her nest in a huge 
dry tree in the early part of March, but as the tree was inacces- 
sible, I was obliged to leave it, the nest was of sticks about fifty 
feet from the ground.” 
Mr. R. Thompson, remarks : 
tinged with chesnut towards the tips. The rest of the coverts paler brown, 
more or less tipped with whitey brown, and tinged with ferruginous, except 
the lesser ones, in the neighbourhood of the scapulars which are deep brown, 
strongly tinged with ferruginous ; most of the coverts have dark brown shafts 
as indeed have most of the scapulars ; the base of the neck in front, breast, and 
abdomen, are rufous brown, with narrow, central, fulvous white stripes, which 
disappear towards the vent, and on the tibial plumes, which instead of a 
white, central stripe have the shafts dark brown. The larger lower wing 
coverts are greyish white, with imperfect, greyish brown, clouded bars, and 
a faint salmon coloured tinge; the rest of the wing lining, is a more or less 
ferruginous brown, the feathers with darker brown shafts. The lower tail 
coverts are fulvous or rufous white, the shafts brown. 
I think the dimensions given by Dr. Jerdon are too large; I have unfor- 
tunately no detailed measurements of adults by me, but I have noted the 
length of a fine adult male at 18 inches. 
