272 FIRST LIST OF THE BIRDS OF 



tail, 1*83'; weight, 0*37 oz. Bill and legs black • irides dark 

 brown. 



Rather common, and a permanent resident. Very often seen 

 in flocks of eight and ten hunting about the leaves of trees for 

 insects. I have never seen them in swamps. 



278.— Buchanga atra, Herm. 



2AiJi April 1878, Female. — Length, 11-75 ; expanse, 17*50 ; 

 wing, 5 "75; tail from vent, 6*0; tarsus, 090-bill from gape, 

 1*12 ■ bill at front, 0*75 ; closed wings fall short of end of tail, 

 3*25 ■ weight, 2*12 ozs. Bill and legs black • irides dark brown. 



8th May, Male.— Length, 12-62 • expanse, 18-25 ; wing, 5-83 ; 

 tail from vent, 7*04 • tarsus, 0*83; bill from gape, 1*12 • bill 

 at front, 0'80 ; closed wings fall short of end of tail, 4*30 ; 

 weight, 2-37 ozs. Irides maroon red; bill and legs black. 



8th May, Female. — Length, 11*58; expanse, 17*50; wing, 

 5-50 ; tail from vent, 6*25 ; tarsus, 0-83 ; bill from gape, 1*08 ; 

 bill at front, 0*75 ; closed wings fall short of end of tail, 3*75 • 

 weight, 2*12 ozs. Irides maroon red; bill and legs black. The 

 above pair were shot off a nest with two eggs. 



\Mh May, Male. — Length, 13*75 ; expanse, 17*12 • wing, 

 5-92 ; tail from vent, 7-25 ; tarsus, 0'83 ; bill from gape, 1*25 ; 

 bill at front, 0*87 ; closed wings fall short of end of tail, 4 - 25 ; 

 weight, 2*37 ozs. Irides maroon red • mouth, inside inky black. 



Excessively common. The female shot off eggs on the 8th 

 May has white tips to the under tail-coverts. All the birds in 

 this part of the district seem to loant the rictal spot, for I shot 

 ever so many birds, but could not get one with the spot. From 

 my Nesting Notes I take the following :— 



le 8^ May 1878. — Casuarina tree in front of the house and 

 about 50 feet up in a fork was a nest of the usual saucer shape, 

 of fine grass roots with a deal of spider's web on the exterior ; 

 contained two callow young, and two hard set eggs of which 

 one was addled. The eggs were of a salmon colour with deep 

 rusty spots here and there. 



"" lUh May. — On the high road from one factory to the other 

 was a small avenue of low Babool trees, on one of which a pair 

 had built their nest on a branch which quite overhung the 

 road. It was about twelve feet off the ground. Two partly incu- 

 bated eggs, of the same markings and colour as the last clutch ; 

 on the same branch, and within two feet of this nest, was another 

 deserted one with one addled egg, and which, from the appear- 

 ance, must have belonged to L. nigriceps ; the latter had been 

 driven away by the King Crow. 



• f 1st June. — Plum tree in paddy fields, and about twelve feet 

 from the ground, was a nest of this species with one fresh egg, 



