278 



Sub-Himalayan Range, on 12th May, which contained two eggs of 

 a fleshy-white colour, thickly blotched with pinkish spots. 



" The nest was a neat structure pendent from a thin branch of 

 a small leafless tree. It was entirely composed of the pubescent 

 covering of the skins of a species of Loranthu-s which the birds had 

 scraped off, and mixing with spiders' webs had woven into a thin 

 felt. The shape of the nest was that of a purse opening down the 

 side." 



Later, writing from Mirzapoor, he says : " March 6th : shot 

 several males, no females ; these latter must be sitting, but in 

 Kumaon they never commence breeding until the end of April. 

 Agrore, 8th March : I was perfectly correct in my surmise that 

 these birds were now breeding. This morning I took a nest, con- 

 taining two newly hatched young ones, with my own hands. I 

 observed the old birds coming and going, and appearing suspiciously 

 anxious of the presence of a Shrike (Lanius erythronotus) which was 

 hanging about, and this led me to search for the nest. It was on 

 a leafless (deciduous) bush of the Kutber (Zizyphus kudber} about 

 10 feet from the ground. The old birds hovered about whilst I 

 was taking it, and more than once perched close over my head. 

 Chopun, 17th March, 1 869 : found three nests, two with very 

 young birds in them, not fledged, so had not the heart to take them. 

 There were two young ones in each ; took the third nest, which 

 was empty and torn. The young, no doubt, had been eaten by a 

 Shrike or Crow. 19th March, Modahpore: to-day saw a couple 

 fixing the foundation of their nest with cobwebs and the pubescent 

 downy covering of the young shoots of Butea frondosa, which the 

 birds bit off in small pieces and mixed with cobwebs ; both birds 

 at work, alternating the time of arrival and departure with 

 material. 



" The nests seen on 17th at Chopun were hung on the following 

 kinds of trees : 



" 1st, Conocarpus latifolia, was 14 feet from ground ; 2nd, 

 Zizyphus Jcudber, was 12 feet from ground ; 3rd, Conocarpus 

 latifolia, 9 feet from ground. 



" The one seen to-day at 6 feet from ground on a twig of Zizy- 

 plius Icudber" 



Captain Beavan, who took several nests in Maunbhoom, one of 

 which was figured in * The Ibis,' tells us : " The first nest was 

 brought to me on the 26th March, with only two eggs, the usual 

 number being three. The nest is very peculiar, a pocket-like 

 structure suspended from a small bough, which forms the roof, the 

 entrance being from one side near the top. It is composed entirely 

 of spiders' web and other silks, with which a pinkish-brown fluff 

 (probably from some tree in flower) is felted together, making the 

 nest look entirely of that colour. There is no lining, only the 

 material employed is denser at the bottom than at the top of the 

 nest. The great peculiarity is, that the nest is as if woven in one 

 piece, and, like a bit of cloth, can be shaken or compressed with- 

 out doing it any injury. The length is 3 inches, breadth 2 inches, 



