SITTA. 197 



at an elevation of from 1500 to 2500 feet. It breeds in May 

 and June in hollows of trees. Any small hole suits for a nest, 

 and it lays four or five eggs, for I have seen it with as many 

 young, though I never took the trouble of getting out the eggs 

 themselves." 



Mr. Davison says : " This Nuthatch breeds on the Xilghiris as 

 high up as Ootacamund, nesting in holes of trees, and laying 

 three or four eggs, spotted with chestnut, pinkish red, or reddish 

 brown. The nest is composed of moss, moss-roots, &c., and lined 

 with feathers. I am not quite certain how long the breeding- 

 season lasts, but I think that it is from the middle of April to the 

 early part of May.'* 



Miss Cockburn, of Kotagherry, sends me the following account 

 of the first nest she took of this species : 



After having wished for some years to obtain the eggs of this 

 bird, I was delighted to hear from my brother that he had seen a 

 Xuthatch go into a small bole in a tree, and that, on looking into 

 it, he had seen something like a nest. I went prepared with a 

 chisel and hammer, but wished first to ascertain fully who the 

 owner of the nest was. After watching at a respectful distance 

 for a long time, an Indian Grey Tit flew to the hole and peeped 

 iu. My first thought was one of great disappointment at having 

 ridden many miles with such high expectations to find only a 

 Common Titmouse's nest; but it did not last long; the inquisitive 

 Grey Tit found the hole too small for him, and flew off just as 

 happily as he had flown to it. I continued to watch, and was 

 quite repaid by seeing a Velvet-fronted Nuthatch fly to the top of 

 the tree containing the nest, and descend rapidly down the trunk 

 (which was about 12 or 13 feet high), as if it knew where the wee 

 hole was, and disappear into it. This was sufficient proof as to the 

 proprietor of the nest ; I walked quietly up to the tree, and when 

 within a foot of it out flew the bird. My handkerchief was stuffed 

 into the hole to prevent any chips breaking the eggs, should there 

 be any : and making use of the chisel and hammer, I soon made 

 the hole large enough to admit my hand. The nest contained three 

 eggs, which I most carefully extracted one by one. The nest was 

 then brought out, and consisted of a quantity of beautiful green 

 moss, feathers (many of which belong to the bird), some soft fine 

 hair, and a few pieces of lichen. This nest was discovered on the 

 10th February. The tree it was found in grew nearly alone, at the 

 side of a road not much frequented. 



"The eggs were quite fresh, and most probably the bird would 

 have laid at least one more ; but these were sufficient to show the 

 colour of the eggs, which were pure white, with dark and light red 

 spots and blotches, chiefly at the thick end, besides a circle of spots 

 like a Flycatcher's eggs." 



Mr. Ehodes W. Morgan, writing of South India, says, in ' The 

 Ibis ' : " It breeds in holes of trees, preferring the deserted ones 

 excavated by Megalama caniceps. The nest is built of moss, and 

 lined with the fluff of hares and soft feathers. The eggs are 



