FEBRUARY. 



IN this month the birds of prey continue to lay, while other kinds 

 commence. The eggs of several swallows and martins may now be 

 found. Parrots, woodpeckers, and other climbing birds are pairing, and 

 even commence excavating the holes for their nests. Several kinds of larks 

 have eggs, others are pairing and building. Doves, of course, are breeding 

 in this as in every other month. The spotted doves, which are more regular 

 than the others, are commencing to build, and the jungle bush quail 

 are pairing in all parts of the country. 



In the HIMALAYAS, the roc vulture, the lammergeyer, the black- 

 capped falcon, the hawk eagles, buzzards, kites, and water ouzels 

 have eggs, while the large barred owlet and the common Indian 

 bushchat are pairing and building throughout the range, and the red- 

 capped tit and crested black tit begin to build in the eastern portions. 

 The Himalayan magpie in all probability has eggs in this month. 



In the PUNJAB, the vultures, falcons, eagles, Pennant's scops 

 owls, the hoopoe, the grey shrike, the streaked scrub warbler, and 

 the raven have eggs throughout the month, and the rufous grass warbler, 

 the common quail, the big bustard, and in some places the common 

 heron are building their nests. 



In the NORTH-WEST PROVINCES, the laying season is fairly beginning. 

 In addition to the vultures, falcons, eagles, &c., no less than seven 

 kinds of owls have eggs. Swallows and martins begin laying- ; so do 

 also the parrots, the purple honey-sucker, the flower-peckers, the 

 streaked wren warbler, the bow-billed corby, the house sparrow, the 

 finch larks and sand larks, the emerald dove, the ringed plover and 

 the stone plover : and besides these, the following kinds should be watched 

 as they commence building their nests, and possibly laying also during 

 this month : the Indian scops owl, the palm swift, the rose-headed 

 parroquet, the chestnut-bellied nuthatch, the common woodshrike, the 

 brown-lacked robin, the black bushchat, the common quail, and the 

 spur-winged plover. The common heron too begins building in parts of 

 Oudh, and the river terns and scissor bills are now congregating on the 

 islands, where in the next month they will breed. 



In BENGAL, the eggs of the long-billed vulture and white-bellied sea 

 eagle and changeable hawk eagle, and brahminy kite may be taken. 

 The common sand martin is still laying-. The yellow-fronted wood- 



