SWIFTS, GOAT-SUCKERS, MUNIAS, ETC. 257 



in the Fauna of a garden. Only one species, 

 Uroloncha punctulata, is a common resident of the 

 neighbourhood of Calcutta, but every one who has 

 paid any attention to the ornithology of the locality 

 must be familiar with it and its strangely dis- 

 proportionate nest. It is a very pretty little bird 

 in its dress of sober brown, yellowish and white, with 

 all the under parts variegated with alternate light 

 and dark bands. During a great part of the year 

 few individuals are about, or, at all events, are 

 conspicuous, but, when the nesting season in the 

 latter part of the rains arrives, pairs of them make 

 their appearance in large numbers, and soon set 

 about building vigorously. This is especially the 

 case in the Botanic Garden, a locality in which, in 

 spite of the great acreage and abundant cover that 

 it provides, curiously few other sorts of birds seem 

 to care to nest. The nests are very conspicuous 

 objects owing to their large size, and within a short 

 time large numbers of them may be seen all over 

 the garden. They are usually placed at an elevation 

 of six to ten feet from the ground among the 

 branches of shrubs or small trees growing in exposed 

 places. In the Botanic Garden, Araucarias of 

 various species seem to be regarded with special 

 favour as building sites, probably because of the 

 exceptional support afforded by their regularly tiled 

 and rigid branches. The nests are untidy and 

 somewhat incoherent masses, more or less spherical 



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