CHATEROPUS. 75 



Presidency (including Bengal, North-Western Provinces, Central 

 Provinces, Oudh, and the Punjab), and I may add in the less desert 

 portions of Sindh, although the race found in that province is not 

 exactly identical with the Bengal bird, and in some respects closely 

 approaches the Malabar race. In Northern Rajpootana it is rare, 

 and further south in the quasi-desert tracts of Central and 

 Western Rajpootana it disappears according to my experience. 



Eastward in Cachar and Assam it appears to occur as a mere 

 straggler, but I have no record of its having bred there. It lays 

 from the latter half of March until the close of July, but the great 

 majority lay during the first week after the setting in of the rains, 

 which varies according to locality and season, from the 1st of June 

 to the 15th of July. 



They build very commonly in gardens, in thick orange-, citron-, or 

 lime-shrubs, but their nests may be found almost anywhere, in 

 thick shrubs or small trees of any kind, or in thick hedges, at 

 heights of from 4 to 10 feet from the ground, always placed in 

 some fork towards the centre of the shrub or hedge. The nests 

 are rather loosely-put-together cups, composed of grass-stems and 

 roots varying in fineness, and often lined with horse-hair. Some 

 are deep and neatly constructed, others loose, straggling, and 

 shallow, the cavity varying from 3 to more than 4 inches in dia- 

 meter and from less than 2 to nearly 3 inches in depth. 



Three is the normal number of the eggs, but I have repeatedly 

 found four. 



Captain Hutton writes to me : " A nest of this bird was taken 

 in the Dehra Dhoon on the 14th May, and was composed entirely 

 of fine roots, the thinnest being placed within as a lining. Sub- 

 sequently three others were procured, one of which was externally 

 composed of coarse dry grasses and leaves, with a scanty lining of 

 fine roots ; the other two were constructed of the fine woody tendrils 

 of climbing-plants and lined like the others with fine roots. These 

 latter had a strong resemblance to some of the nests of Garrulax 

 alboyularis, while the difference exhibited in the nature of the 

 materials used arises from the various character of the localities in 

 which the bird may choose to build. Each nest contained four 

 beautiful eggs of a full bright turquoise-green, shining as if var- 

 nished. The eggs were nearly all hard-set. This species does not 

 ascend the hills, but appears to be confined to the Dhoon, where it 

 may be seen in small parties in gardens, hedgerows, and low brush- 

 wood, turning over the dead leaves in search of seeds and insects. 

 Its flight is low, short, and apparently laboured, from the shortness 

 and rounded form of the wing, but on the ground it hops along with 

 speed. The note is clamorous and chuckling and uttered in concert." 



The late Mr. A. Anderson remarked : " Although one of' the 

 most common birds in the North- West Provinces, and in fact 

 verging on a nuisance, its nidification is interesting, inasmuch as its 

 nest (in common with that of A. malcolmi) is used as a nursery 

 for the young of Hierococcyx varius and Coccystes melanoleucus. 



" This Babbler builds, as a general rule, during the early part of 



