42 TURDID^E. 



Captain Hutton tells us that " this little species, which is by no 

 means uncommon in the hills even up to 8000 feet, is also very 

 abundant in the warmer climate of the Dhoon, where it breeds in 

 May and June. On the first of the latter month I obtained a nest 

 containing five eggs of a pale greenish white, thickly spotted with 

 rufous, especially at the larger end, where they become confluent 

 and cloud the shell. One egg was larger and whiter than the 

 rest, the rufous marking of the larger end not being quite so con- 

 fluent, but forming an ill-defined ring. The nest was placed on 

 the ground at the side of a low bank among grass, and was com- 

 posed of very fine roots, dead leaves, and grass externally, and 

 lined with black hair of cattle. It was of a rather flat cup-shape." 



Prom Sambhur Mr. R. M. Adam records : " I found a nest of 

 this bird on the 23rd June, 1873. The nest was in a hole in the 

 bank of an open well. The hole appeared to have been made in 

 the loose sand by the bird, and measured about 3'5 in diameter. 

 The outer lining of the nest consisted of a few pieces of coarse 

 grass, while in the egg-cavity there were a few pieces of fine roots 

 carelessly placed together and not rounded. The nest contained 

 three eggs of a pale greenish colour, with a zone of rust-coloured 

 spots at the broad end, and a few spots and freckles of the same 

 colour on the body of the egg. 



" On the 29th June I saw a male bird making a hole with its 

 bill in the bank of an open well ; but on visiting it after several 

 days no progress had been made." 



From Saharunpoor Colonel G. F. L: Marshall writes : " The 

 only two nests that I have taken of this bird were structures of a 

 most unique type ; they were situated in the middle of tufts of 

 surkery-grass, the insides of which had been all hollowed out, so as 

 to leave a circular space of bare ground in the middle about a foot 

 in diameter, which was sparsely covered over with bits of grass ; 

 this circular space was roofed over by drawing the surrounding 

 grass-stems together and weaving in other pieces, so as to form a 

 sort of dome. The interior height of the structure was about 18 

 inches. The entrance was circular on one side near the top, about 

 15 inches above the floor of the chamber. The egg-receptacle was 

 a hollow in the floor of the chamber near one side farthest from 

 the entrance and neatly lined with grass, about 2| inches across 

 and about 1| inch deep. 



" In one nest 1 found four eggs, slightly set, on the 8th April, 

 and in the other nest were four young ones. This was towards 

 the end of April." 



Major C. T. Bingham tells us that this Bush-Chat is " uncommon 

 at Allahabad, common at Delhi, breeds in May and the early part 

 of June in holes in banks lined with grass-roots and a few feathers. 

 Eggs very like those of the Home Stonechat, four in number." 



Mr, E. Aitken remarks : " From the neighbourhood of Bombay 

 this bird retires to the hills to breed. I found a nest at Khan- 

 dalla last year in the middle of May. 



"It was in a hole iu the perpendicular bank of a railway- 



