174 FALCONID^E. 



nest ; but I have known several instances in which more eggs were 

 laid in the same nest, and one in which an entirely new nest was 

 constructed by the old birds in an adjoining tree, in which a single 

 egg was laid and hatched. 



Colonel Gr. F. L. Marshall, writing from Saharunpoor, remarks 

 that this species " generally breeds in February and March ; but 

 I have taken eggs as late as the end of April. It usually lays 

 three eggs, but will lay more if some of the eggs are taken. I 

 took two out of three eggs from one nest, leaving one to prevent 

 the bird forsaking the place. A short time after, I sent a shikaree 

 to shoot and bring me the bird ; he mistook my orders and brought 

 the eggs ; there were three then, two more had been laid ; after this 

 one other egg was laid, and then the nest was forsaken. The nest 

 was in my own compound, so that I had ample opportunities for 

 watching it."' 



Mr. E. M. Adam says : " This bird breeds at Sambhur during 

 March and April. I haA^e generally found the nest on large peepul- 

 trees. The nests which I have taken contained sometimes two, 

 sometimes three eggs." 



Mr. W. E. Brooks remarks that this species is " tolerably com- 

 mon both at Nynee Tal and Almorah, at both of which places it 

 breeds about two months later than it does in the plains." 



Major C. T. Bingham remarks : " Breeds both at Allahabad 

 and at Delhi in March and April." 



Colonel Butler contributes the following notes : 



" In Kurrachee, as there are no trees, the Kites generally build 

 their nests on the tops of the houses, often on a sloping roof, 

 parapet of a wall, chimney, &c. One nest I saw built halfway 

 up the flagstaff outside the Brigade Office, on a wooden platform 

 intended for the man to stand on when lowering or raising the 

 signal flags. 



" The Common Kite breeds in the neighbourhood of Deesa, 

 principally in the month of February. I have found as many as 

 four eggs in one nest, but two is certainly the normal number. 

 They often begin to build their nests as early as November, and I 

 took one nest this year on the 27th November containing two eggs 

 slightly incubated, and another on the 17th November containing 

 two fresh eggs. 



" Belgaum, 17th November, 1879. Found a Kite's nest con- 

 taining a single fresh egg. On the 20th inst. revisited the nest 

 and took three more fresh eggs/' 



Mr. Scrope Doig writes from Sind : " Took several nests be- 

 tween the 9th of February and beginning of April. Their nests 

 were, as a rule, built on pollarded kundy and tamarisk trees in the 

 vicinity of villages. In some instances the parent birds showed a 

 very determined objection to having their nests robbed." 



Messrs. Davidson and Wenden, writing of the Deccan, say : 

 " The only Kite identified by D. was M.yovinda. It breeds freely 

 from middle of September to middle of March. Greatest number 

 of eggs found in a nest was three." 



