Nidification of Indian Birds. 279 



117. Alseonax ruficaudus. 



Oates, F. B. Ind. ii. p. 36; Wilson, B. N. H. S. J. xii. 

 p. 6Z7; Davidson, Ibis, 1898, p. 22. 



The only notes that I can find of this bird's breeding 

 are those by Col. Wilson ami Mr. Davidson above cited, 

 although I believe that several other observers have taken 

 the nest. 



The first note referred to is : " We found one nest on the 

 18th June, on a pine-branch at Sonamorg, situated about ten 

 feet from the ground ; it was very well concealed, and, had 

 not the bird flown off, it would certainly have escaped obser- 

 vation. It was a small cup-shaped nest of moss, lined with 

 hair and feathers. It contained two slightly incubated eggs. 

 The ground-colour was buff with a rufous clouding and a 

 few brown spots on the larger end. They measured - 72 by 

 •52 inch. We shot the bird, and, though we made a careful 

 search, saw no others during our stay/' 



Davidson in 1898 took a number of nests, one at Sona- 

 morg and several at Gund, where he found the bird very 

 common. Whereas Wilson describes the nest as small, 

 Da\ idson states that his were " large, solid cups generally built 

 within reach or at the most fifteen feet or so from the 

 ground on the stumps of pollarded trees/' He says that 

 the birds were very shy, and that nests which were in any way 

 touched or interfered with were promptly deserted. 



The number of eggs he found to be either three or four, 

 and a clutch of the latter number I owe to his generosity. 

 These eggs agree well with his description. 



In colour they are pale clear olive-green, the green being 

 so pronounced that it might almost be called sea-green. If 

 looked at casually they appear to be uniformly coloured, 

 the tint merely deepening slightly at the larger end. But 

 when they are examined with a powerful glass it is seen that 

 they are green-grey in ground-colour with stipplings of pale 

 red-green all over, these becoming deeper and more pro- 

 nounced at the larger end. 



The texture is in every way exactly like that of A. 

 latirostris, already described. 



