172 



say : " Rather rare : but on 16th January D. shot a female from 

 a nest (no eggs) on a small bush growing out of a rocky bank, 30 

 or 40 feet high, on the Bhima River. On dissecting her he found 

 that the eggs would probably have been laid a week later. A nest 

 with one egg and a young bird was taken on an island in the 

 River Bhima, on 24th April. Observed nestling on the Dew 

 River, 14 miles from Poona, on 14th February.'' 



And Mr. Davidson further writes: "The Brahminy Kite is 

 exceeding common among the tanks in Mysore, and its habits 

 differ there from its habits in the Deccan. In the Dec-can, where 

 it is rare, it is a shy bird, clinging to and breeding along the 

 large rivers. In Mysore it haunts the rice-land, and seems to 

 have no favourite breeding-place. I have found nests high up on 

 tall trees far away from a village, and others not 15 feet from the 

 ground in the middle of a village, though I think the majority are 

 on lowish trees among the rice-fields. The nest resembles that of 

 the Common Kite externally, but has less lining. The eggs vary 

 much in size, and are not so round as the Common Kite's. About 

 one half are quite white, and all the others I have taken (about 

 twenty in all) had a few dark purple scratches or ticks all over 

 them, and there was not a boldly-marked egg amongst them." 



Colonel Legge remarks : " This species breeds in Ceylon in 

 February and March." 



Mr. j. C. Parker says : " On the same day (February 1) and 

 on a peepul-tree adjoining the one on which was the Vulture's 

 nest, I secured two fresh eggs of this species. No two eggs could 

 be more different as to colour the one being perfectly clear bluish 

 white with but one or two minute claret-coloured spots; the 

 other richly coloured, this I discovered after removing the thick 

 coating of mud with which it was completely covered." 



Mr. J. R. Cripps, writing from Furreedpore in Lower Bengal, 

 says : " On the 27th February, 1878, I took two partly-incu- 

 bated eggs from a nest built in amongst the leafy branches and 

 near the top of a Ficus relu/iosa tree, some 35 feet off the ground. 

 The nest was of the Common Kite type, of twigs with a lining of 

 cow's hair and a few grasses. On the 20th November, 1877, I 

 noticed one of the above pair carrying twigs up to this peepul- 

 tree, which was in my factory compound. I sent a man up ever 

 so often to see if there were any eggs, but it was the 27th 

 February before they were secured. Mr. Oates (S. F. vol v. 

 p. 142) also alludes to the length of time taken by this species to 

 build." 



Mr. J. Inglis remarks of this Kite in Cachar : " The Brahminy 

 Kite is very common throughout the year; it breeds in March and 

 April ; it generally fixes on a mango or peepul tree, close to a 

 village." 



Mr. Oates notes that this species in Pegu " takes a long time to 

 build its nest. My first eggs were taken on the 18th February." 



Major C. T. Bingham writes from Teuasserirn : " In the 

 Thoungyeen this is the commonest of the Raptores. 



