174 FRINGILLID^E. 



first an intermediate coat of fine khus, over which, again, is a 

 complete lining of horsehair. The outer diameter is about 4*8, 

 inner 2-6, and depth of cavity 1/4. The nests are compact, espe- 

 cially the inner part of the structure, and neatly made. 



" I have only seen this bird at Bubeena and Talbehut, and 

 in pairs. On one occasion I saw five or six together on the 

 Talbehut fort wall. Their favourite resort is old buildings and 

 walls, to which the birds confine themselves, seldom going far 

 away from them. The male has a peculiarly soft, melodious note, 

 repeated at intervals. 



" The birds feed on the ground at all times of the day, and their 

 food appeared to consist of small grass-seeds. 



" Three appears to be the regular number of eggs. They are of 

 a dull whitish grey, with a sprinkling of light-brown spots." 



Dr. Gr. King furnishes the following account of its nidification 

 on Mount Aboo : " It breeds here, I should say, in the rains. 

 Two nests observed by me were found (1) 18th July and (2) 1st 

 August. 



" The first was situated in a niche in the face of a large stone on 

 the banks of a rocky stream near the Graomukh, Aboo, at an ele- 

 vation of about 4500 feet. The niche was concealed by a tuft of 

 grass. The height of the nest above ground was 3 feet. The 

 second nest, found on the 1st August, was situated in a dense patch 

 of wild balsams which cover a smooth slope near a very rocky place 

 behind and above Major Impey's house. Elevation about 4200 feet. 

 The nest was capitally hidden, quite on the ground, and wedged in 

 between the stems of some wild balsams. 



" Both nests were precisely similar in shape, subhemispherical, 

 slightly flattened and enlarged below ; the egg-cavity deep. The 

 nests, in texture, were rather loose ; but the egg-cavity closely and 

 compactly lined. The material consisted entirely of one kind of 

 fine dry grass. The side-walls of one nest were about 0*75 thick, 

 the bottom 1*5 thick. 



"The egg-cavity was 1*75 deep and 2 inches wide. 



" The first nest contained three eggs, which were taken, preserved, 

 and sent to you. No. 2 contained three young, evidently just 

 hatched. On returning to look at the nest on the 3rd August, I 

 found the young gone and the nest pulled to pieces. 



" During the months from April to the middle of August I hardly 

 ever observed this bird in any other than rocky places. It was then 

 very common at Aboo. 



" On revisiting Aboo (22nd September to 5th October) I found 

 this species in moult, not nearly so common as it was in the hot 

 weather and rains, and not so much confined to rocks. 



"It is a vivacious, rather bold little bird, with a pretty little 

 simple note. I think it must often build in deep chinks in the 

 rocks, as, though I searched repeatedly for its nest, I found only 

 two ; my shikaree found a third." 



Writing from Mount Aboo, Colonel Butler says : " The Crested 

 Black Bunting is very common at Mount Aboo. It remains on the 



