74 TUEDID^E. 



spot; there were no snake-skins in the nest (vide Jerdon), but in 

 it were two or three pieces of the brilliant mica so abundant at 

 Kamptee, and these very much resembled scales from snake- 

 skins." 



Writing from Saugor, but referring to his experience both in 

 that district and in the Delhi Division, Mr. F. E. Blevvitt tells us 

 that this species " breeds in the latter half of April, May, June, 

 July, and part of August. Builds in holes of walls, convenient 

 fissures in rocks, and, what I have only observed here, on dwarf 

 trees and bushes. On a jungle-bush 4| feet high I saw a nest 

 supported by three upright twigs, and shot the male bird as he 

 flew off it. I have kept the bird and the nest. Subsequently I 

 found a second nest on the upper branches of a keekur, near 

 6 feet high. Other nests were taken from plum and reunj 

 bushes. 



" The nests, if they can be so called, in holes of walls and in 

 rock-fissures are simply constructed of loose, coarse, and fine grass, 

 with occasionally a few feathers of sorts to form, as it were, an 

 upper layer. Those found in bushes were circular, some 4| inches 

 in diameter, the lower portion of coarse grass and roots well put 

 together, with the egg-cavity cup-shaped, some 3 inches in dia- 

 meter, lined with fine grass, khus, and a few horsehairs. In one 

 nest small pieces of cotton were substituted for the hairs. Four 

 appears to be the regular number of eggs." 



From Sambhur Mr. E. M. Adam records that "the Indian 

 Robin is very plentiful here, and breeds from March to June. A 

 pair which built in my verandah, in April, had two eggs in the 

 same nest on the 8th May, or about ten days after the first brood 

 left the nest, and later they reared a third brood in the same 

 nest. 



" The nest is made in holes, in trees, stone or mud walls, the 

 thatch of houses, or in prickly-pear bushes. Sometimes it is very 

 carelessly made, at other times the bird bestows a good deal of 

 labour on it. When carelessly made, a few tags of sheep's wool 

 and some human hair, rounded into a cup-shape, suffice ; but when 

 carefully made it is constructed of fibres, grass, and grass-roots, all 

 firmly matted together, and the egg-cavity is lined with different 

 kinds of hair. The outer diameter of the nest measures 4 inches ; 

 the inner 2| inches, with a depth of 1^ inch. In each of the 

 numerous nests which I have taken there were either one or two 

 pieces of snake's skin or a few pieces of mica, which is rather 

 common about the roads when the Mohurrum tazzeas are being 

 carried about. Two seems to be the normal number of the eggs, 

 but I have sometimes found three ; they are of a pale greenish 

 colour, some with spots, and others with freckles of various shades 

 of reddish brown. One egg I possess has a few very fine spots, 

 while at the thick end there is a lovely zone of lilac and reddish 

 brown." 



Lieut. H. E. Barnes, writing of Eajputana in general, says that 

 this Robin breeds from March to the middle of July. 



