MERIT LA. 89 



margin. Owing to the different materials used in different localities 

 for the external coating of the nest, these vary much in appearance ; 

 but some of them, entirely coated with moss or lichen, are amongst 

 the most beautiful structures that I know. The type of the archi- 

 tecture of the nest, as will be observed, is the same as that of the 

 European Blackbird. 



Dr. Jerdon tells us that he has " frequently found the nest, 

 made of roots and moss, usually with four eggs, pale blue with 

 dusky brown spots." 



Mr. W. Davison remarks : " With the exception of Pratincola 

 bicolor, the nest of this species is the commonest at Ootacamund 

 and its immediate vicinity. During April and the earlier part of 

 May every thick shrub is sure to contain a nest, placed in a fork, 

 generally about 12 or 14 feet from the ground. It is a large and 

 very solid structure, composed internally of bits of stick, dead 

 leaves, roots, and moss, within which is a tolerably thick stratum 

 of clay, and within this again fine grass and moss-roots. I think 

 I must have taken a hundred nests in my time. The eggs are 

 normally four, sometimes five, in number, and very variable both 

 as regards colour and form, but the ground-colour is generally a 

 dingv r bluish green, thickly mottled and freckled with brownish 

 red.'' 



Miss Cockburn, of Kotagherry, notes that " Blackbirds seldom 

 lay more than four eggs, the ground-colour of which is a light 

 green, with blotches and spots of a light red and brown. They 

 generally build in thick bushes or trees, often on those the branches 

 of which overhang streams of water. I once found a Blackbird's 

 nest built in a bank just in a place a Eobin would have chosen. 

 The nest was quite exposed to view, and I frequently saw one of 

 the birds sitting in the nest, while I rode past. This was quite 

 unlike their general ideas of seclusion. The young brood came to 

 an untimely end. They lay from April to July." 



Captain Horace Terry, writing of the occurrence of this Black- 

 bird on the Pulney Hills, remarks : " Very common everywhere 

 on the sholas on the top. They commence breeding in the middle 

 of March, and were still breeding when I left in the middle of 

 June." 



Mr. Ehodes "W. Morgan, writing from South India, says : 

 " This bird breeds on the Neilgherries from March to May, build- 

 ing a large nest of moss, twigs, wool, &c., with a clay cup in it, 

 which is neatly lined with bent-grass and roots. The eggs are 

 three in number, irregularly blotched with reddish brown, the 

 blotches being more numerous towards the larger end, on a pale 

 greenish-blue ground. This Blackbird sings most beautifully in 

 the breeding-season ; and they may then be heard at all hours, but 

 especially towards evening, answering one another. Dimensions 

 of an egg 1-25 inch in length by O91 in breadth." 



The eggs are very similar to many varieties of those of the 

 European Blackbird. In shape they are commonly a broad oval, 

 pointed towards one end; but, as in the case of our English 



