io A BIRD CALENDAR 



pied in parental duties. The breeding season 

 of these birds begins in October or November 

 and ends in February or March. The nest, 

 which is placed high up in a lofty tree, is a 

 large platform composed of twigs which the 

 birds themselves break off from the growing 

 tree. Much amusement may be derived from 

 watching the struggles of a white-backed 

 vulture when severing a tough branch. Its 

 wing-flapping and its tugging cause a great 

 commotion in the tree. The boughs used by 

 vultures for their nests are mostly covered with 

 green leaves. These last wither soon after the 

 branch has been plucked, so that, after the 

 first few days of its existence, the nest looks 

 like a great ball of dead leaves caught in a tree. 

 The nurseries of birds of prey can be 

 described neither as picturesque nor as 

 triumphs of architecture, but they have the 

 great merit of being easy to see. January is 

 the month in which to look for the eyries of 

 Bonelli's eagles (Hieraetus fasciatus) ; not that 

 the search is likely to be successful. The high 

 cliffs of the Jumna and the Chambal in the 

 Etawah district are the only places where the 

 nests of this fine eagle have been recorded in 

 the United Provinces. Mr. A. J. Currie has 



