66 Zoological Society : — 



bably to the similarity in colour of the plumage of the wiugs aud 

 back with that of the burnt grass and dusty ground to escape 

 notice. This little lark breeds during the months of January and 

 February-, building its nest, ^Yhich is composed of grass, threads, &c., 

 in a hollow in the grassy plains which it inhabits. A nest of this 

 species which was brought to me at the end of January was com- 

 posed chiefly of grass ; it contained two small eggs, of a grey 

 tint, speckled with brown. They have been unfortunately broken. 

 Dr. Jerdon says : " I was fortunate enough to obtain the nest and 

 eggs of this bird very lately (February). The nest is composed 

 of w oven thread mingled with some fibres of grass and one or two 

 small fragments of cloth. The sides are hardly raised at all ; it 

 was placed in a slight hollow on the open plain near a river, and 

 contained two eggs, of a slight greenish-grey tint spotted with 

 brown, chiefly at the larger end." 



Tribe Scansores. 

 Family Psittacid^. Sub-family Macrocercin.*. 

 Genus Pal^ornis. 

 Pal^ornis TORauATUs, Vigors. 



The Red-ringed Parrakeet is by far the most common of its tribe 

 throughout Western India, as probably throughout that continent. 

 They associate in large flocks, doing much injury to fruit-trees and 

 crops of grain. As the grain-crops ripen, they frequent the trees in 

 the neighbourhood, whence they make descents on the fields, retiring 

 to them with the heads of the grain plants, to eat at their leisure. 

 As far as my observations go, they prefer carrying off the ears of 

 the plant to eating the grain in the field. On the approach of night 

 they retire in large flocks to the shelter of thick mango aud other 

 trees. This Parrakeet breeds during the month of jNIarch, in holes 

 in buildings aud trees, laying three or four eggs, of a pure white 

 colour, ly^ths of an inch in length by 1 inch in width. 



Pal^ornis Alexandri. Large red-ringed Parrakeet. 



I have never met with this large species, but I see that Dr. Jerdon 

 mentions having obtained four young ones from a hole in a tree, iu 

 the month of December. 



Pal.eornis bengalensis. Red-headed or Pltjm-headed 

 Parrakeet. 



I have had many opportunities of watching and closely obser- 

 ving the habits of these handsome little parrakeets, and am con- 

 vinced that they are one and the same bird, the red-head being the 

 mark of an advanced, if not mature plumage. In young birds, the 

 plum-colour of the head is much mixed with green, the former 

 colour becoming decided as the birds grow older, and this again 

 giving way to the red head-dress. I have met with these birds in 

 the woody ra\ines aud recesses amongst the lower ranges of hills in 



