72 CRATEROPODID.E. 



Hedge-Sparrow, whose early eggs formed the prize of our first 

 boyish nesting-expeditions, but they are slightly larger and typically 

 somewhat more elongated. 



In length they vary from O75 to 0-92, and in breadth from 0*6 

 to 0-7 ; but the average of one hundred and fifteen eggs measured 

 was 0-82 by 0-64. 



107. Argya malcolmi (Sykes). The Large Grey Babbler. 



Malacocercus malcolmi (Sykcs), Jerd. B. 2nd. ii, p. 64. 

 Argya malcolmi (Sykes), Hume, Rough Draft N. fy E. no. 436. 



The Large Grey Babbler breeds throughout the central portions 

 of both the Peninsula and Continent of India from the Nilghiris 

 to the Dhoon. It does not extend westwards to Sindh or the 

 North-West Punjab, or eastwards far into Bengal Proper. In 

 the Central and North- West Provinces it lays from early in March 

 well into September, having at least two and, as I believe, often 

 three broods. 



It builds on low branches of small trees or in thick shrubs, at 

 no great elevation from the ground, say at heights of from 4 to 10 

 feet, a somewhat loosely woven, but yet generally neat, cup-shaped 

 nest, composed, as a rule, chiefly of grass-roots, but often with an 

 admixture of thin sticks and grass. Generally there is no lining, 

 but I have found nests scantily lined with very fine grass and even 

 horse-hair. Even when, as is the rule, entirely unlined, the inside 

 is finished off very nicely and smoothly. I have often seen ragged 

 and untidy nests, but these are the exception. Externally the nest 

 is some 5 or 6 inches in diameter and 3 or 4 inches in height ; the 

 cavity is from 3 to 4 inches across and from 2 to nearly 3 inches 

 in depth. 



Four is the normal number of the eggs laid, but I have several 

 notes of finding five. 



Mr. Brooks says : " This species breeds in waste lands over- 

 grown with scanty jungle. The nest is made of sticks, roots, grass, 

 &c., is rather bulky, and is placed in some moderate-sized bush 

 about 7 or 8 feet from the ground. The eggs are greenish blue, 

 bluer and not so brightly coloured as those of C. terricolor." 



Mr. R. M. Adam remarks : " Near Muttra, on the 31st Octo- 

 ber, I found a pair of birds busy lining the interior of a nest which 

 they had built in a plum-tree. At the Sambhur lake it is very 

 common, and commences to breed about the end of March." 



Writing from Kotagherry (Nilghiris), Miss Cockburn remarks : 

 " Their nests are built of a few twigs and roots, very loosely put 

 together (on some low branch of a tree), and so few of even these 

 as hardly to keep the eggs from falling through. These Babblers 

 lay four oval eggs of a greenish-blue colour, but I once saw a nest 

 with eight, and as there were several of these birds close to it, I 

 have no doubt two or three shared it together, perhaps to avoid 

 the necessity of each pair building for itself. Their nests are 

 found in the months of March and April. 



