PYCNONOTUS. 189 



comparing them with a clutch taken last year in the Western 

 Province, and about which there was no doubt. In the latter 

 case the nest was fixed on the top of a small stump, and was a 

 loose structure of grass and bents ; in shape rather a deep cup ; 

 and contained two eggs of a reddish- white ground-colour, profusely 

 speckled with reddish brown (in one example confluent round the 

 obtuse end, in the other distributed over the whole surface) over 

 freckles of bluish grey. Dimensions : 079 by 0-58, O78 by 0-57. 

 The other nest was made of grass on a foundation of dry leaves and 

 herbaceous stalks, loosely lined with fine hair-like tendrils of 

 creepers. The eggs were of a reddish-white ground, thickly covered 

 throughout with brownish-red and dusky red spots, becoming 

 somewhat confluent round the obtuse end. In form they are regular 

 ovals, and measure 078 by 0-6, 0'79 by 0-58." 



305. Pycnonotus luteolns (Less.). The White-browed Bulbul. 



Ixos luteolus (LessJ), Jerd. B. 2nd. ii, p. 84 ; Hume, Rough Draft 

 N. # E. no. 452. 



Common as is the White-browed Bulbul in Midnapoor, through- 

 out the Tributary Mehals, along the Eastern Grhats, and again, it 

 appears, in Bombay, only two of my correspondents appear as yet 

 to have procured the nest or eggs. 



Mr. Benjamin Aitken, writing from Bombay under date the llth 

 June, says : " I now send you a nest of Pycnonotus luteolus with 

 two eggs. I took it this morning from a thickly foliaged tree in 

 a garden. It was placed on the top of the main stem of the tree, 

 which had been abruptly cut off about 5 feet from the ground, where 

 the stem was about 3 inches thick. The nest was begun this day 

 week, Thursday, and the first egg was laid the day before yesterday 

 (Tuesday). The bird is a very common one in gardens in Bombay, 

 though I never saw it in Berar nor even in Poona. They build in 

 situations similar to, but perhaps rather more sheltered than, those 

 chosen by the Common Bulbul ; but I remember finding one nest 

 placed at a height of only 2 feet from the ground. 



" This present nest was begun, as already mentioned, last 

 Thursday, just two days after the first severe thunder-shower 

 preliminary to the monsoon, now fairly on us. 



" I draw your attention to the manner in which the nest has been 

 tied at one place to a twig to prevent its being blown off its very 

 (apparently) insecure site. I was obliged to take the nest, as I was 

 leaving at once, otherwise one or perhaps two more eggs would 

 have been laid." 



The nest is a rather loose straggling structure, exteriorly com- 

 posed of fine twigs. The cavity, hemispherical in shape, is carefully 

 lined with fine grass-stems. Outside it is very irregularly shaped, 

 and many of the twigs used are much too long and hang down 

 several inches from the nest; but on one side the outer framework 

 has been firmly tied with wool and a little cobweb to a live twig to 

 which the leaves, now withered, are still attached. No roots or 

 hair have entered into the composition of this nest. 



