5;5t) Dr. C. B. Ticehurst on [Ibis, 



There are always more Crows about than nests, and this is 

 accounted for by the fact (which 1 have proved by dissection) 

 that the birds one year okl, with brownish wings and darker 

 grey colhir, do not breed, but are performing a complete 

 moult during the breeding season of the adults. Possibly, 

 however, some of these birds may breed late in the year 

 after moulting, as I have seen building going on on 

 5 November and seen young just out on the 15th ; this might, 

 however, be late efforts of adults, which as soon as their 

 brood is flying start to moult. The average of 36 eggs is 

 :J6-81 X 2G-3 : largest 45 X 26-5 and 36 x 28, smallest 33 x 26 

 and 35'5 X 25. Mr. Stuart Baker informs me that they are 

 not distinguishable from the eggs of typical splendens. 

 Nothing comes amiss to this scavenger, and I have seen 

 them in the hot weather scouring the desert for locusts. (Con- 

 sidering their abundance, variations are not common ; a pale 

 dun-coloured one and a silvery white one came under notice. 



The Sind race differs from the typical one in having a much 

 paler collar and under parts (as Hume noted), pale smoke- 

 grey in fresh feather, creamy grey or dirty white in worn 

 dress. Wing 255-290 mm., as in splendens. 



It is found throughout Sind, Las Belas, Sibi Plain, and 

 S. Punjab. 



Dendrocitta vagabunda pallida (Blyth). " Mata " or 

 " Midang." 



Hume called the Tree-Pie common almost everywhere in 

 Sind, but it is, of course, only common in the afforested area 

 of the Indus valley and canal regions. Outside this it may be 

 met with in small numbers wherever sufficient large trees oj* 

 high jungle occurs — and this is in few enough places. Thus 

 I have seen it in jungle on the Barun River at the footoi the 

 Soorjana Hills, and it probably occurs in the main range 

 valleys where trees are sufficient. It is quite resident and 

 breeds from the end of April u]) to June, and is very partial 

 to "kandi" and "babool" forest. I have found it always 

 rather a shy bird, and usually but a glimpse of it is caught 

 as it flies ahead from tree to tree. 



