204 MOTAClLLIDjE. 



banks of the Jumna, near Sheregurk; two were built inside 

 clusters of kunker rocks, completely under overhanging slabs, and 

 one was so situated that one's hand could hardly reach it. The 

 nests were circular, about 5 inches in diameter and about 2 inches 

 thick, with a central 3-incb diameter and an inch-deep depression. 

 The nests were rather solidly woven with grass-roots and grass, 

 and thickly and warmly lined the one with cotton-wool and a 

 little sheep's w r ool and human hair ; the other with cotton-wool, 

 a few soft duck's feathers, some soft tow, and several pieces of soft 

 native cotton-thread : the one contained four perfectly fresh, the 

 other three slightly incubated, eggs. 



" The third nest was under the curving side of a huge log of 

 sal stranded a few feet above the present water-level. It was 

 very solidly woven of hair, a great proportion of which was human, 

 and the rest of cows and horses. There were only two eggs, and 

 they were fresh." 



Colonel Gr. F. L. Marshall tells me " that this bird breeds com- 

 monly in the Saharunpoor District on the flat roofs of the canal 

 chokies, or in the small ventilating holes in the wall ; sometimes 

 it makes an elaborate and very neatly constructed nest of twigs 

 and grass thickly lined with hair and feathers ; at other times 

 the eggs are deposited on the bare sand which lodges in the drain- 

 pipes at the corners of the roof. The eggs are four in number, 

 and differ much in size and colour." 



The late Mr. A. Anderson remarked: " Several pairs of these 

 "Wagtails breed annually at Futtegurh ; their favourite place 

 appears to be the bridge of boats. The nest is usually placed 

 inside a ' pigeon-hole,' either at the bow or stern of a boat, and is 

 a large solid structure, well lined with wool and tow. 



" The eggs are usually four in number, and I have known the 

 same pair to lay a second clutch very soon after the first batch had 

 been removed. They do not begin to build till the end of April 

 or beginning of May. 



" Two years ago I found M. maderaspatana, Columba intermedia, 

 and Coracias indica, a pair of each, building in the same boat : the 

 Wagtail's nest was on a rafter under the planks, and the other 

 birds occupied ' pigeon-holes ' or niches at either end of the boat." 



From Sambhur Mr. E. M. Adam notes that " the Pied Wagtail 

 is very common about all the open wells and tanks. They build 

 during April and May. Although I have been looking out for 

 the nest of this bird for some time, the first I found was on the 

 morning of the 18th April. I then noticed an adult catching a 

 large dragon-fly, and as it did not proceed at once to devour it, I 

 thought that it might be for its young. After flirting about for 

 fully five minutes with the fly in its bill, it popped into a hole at 

 the very water-level of a tank near to my house, and immediately 

 reappeared without the fly. On examining the hole I found a nest 

 containing three full-fledged nestlings and one addled egg. The 

 nest was a longish oval, about 7 inches in length and 4 inches in 

 breadth ; in thickness it was about 2 inches. It was composed of 



