FOR NORTHERN INDIA 193 



verditer flycatcher, a black-throated or a 

 grey-winged ouzel, a dark-grey bush-chat, a 

 pine-bunting, a Himalayan whistling thrush, 

 or even a white-capped redstart. Indeed, 

 there is scarcely a species which inhabits the 

 lower ranges of the Himalayas that may not 

 be driven to the plains by a heavy fall of snow 

 on the mountains. Naturally it is in the 

 districts nearest the hills that most of these 

 rare birds are seen but there is no part of 

 Northern India in which they may not 

 occur. 



The nesting activity of birds in Upper India 

 attains its zenith in May, and then declines 

 until it reaches its nadir in November. With 

 December it begins again to increase. 



Of those birds whose nests were described 

 last month the white-backed vulture, Pallas's 

 fishing-eagle, the tawny eagle, the sand- 

 martin and the black-necked stork are likely 

 to be found with eggs or young in the present 

 month. 



December marks the beginning of the 

 nesting season for three large owls the brown 

 fish-owl, the rock horned -owl and the dusky 

 horned-owl. The brown fish-owl (Ketupa 

 ceylonensis) is a bird almost as large as a kite. 



