£4 On the hreeillvg of Manus Melanopterus. 



about the authenticity of these eg-gs, I feel sure^ for Mr, Adam's 

 eggs are of precisely the same type^, although one of them shews 

 a good de?l of the ground color (only slightly freckled and 

 mottled with brownish red^) at the small end. 



All the eggs are nearly the same size : they vary from 1"42 to 

 1*53 inches in lengthy and from 1*16 to 1*25 inches in breadth -, 

 but the average is l"4-8 by 1"3 inches. 



The question arises do these birds ])reed twice a year or is the 

 difference in season at which Messrs. Blewitt and Adam ob- 

 tained the eggs^ due to diiferences of climate and locality. 



The Sambhur Lake is situated in the bare sandy portion of 

 Bajpootaua, which a hundred miles further west merges in the 

 great desert. The rain fall at Sambhur is, perhaps, on the aver- 

 age about ten inches. Sumbulpoor is in the east on the banks 

 of the Mahanuddy, a country of rice swamps, forest, and jungle 

 where the rain-fall is fully five times as great as at Sambhur, 

 and it seems at least most probable, therefore, that these differ- 

 ences in season are due to climatic influences. 



Mr. R. Thompson [inde page 339, Rough Notes,) informed me 

 that in Lower Gurhwal and the Dehra Dhoon, " they breed from 

 April to June, choosing lov^r trees, usually one standing by itself 

 in (for those localities) sparsely wooded spots to build on. The 

 nest is circular, not unlike that of Corviis Cnliii.eiiatus, ctmiposed 

 of small sticks and twigs and lined with fine grass roots and 

 fibres. This species is sparingly found along* the foot of the 

 Himalaj^as. It does not enter valleys unless, as in the case of the 

 Patlee and Dehra Dhoons, they haj^pen to be pretty open." Writ- 

 ing later from the Central Provinces he says, " In the Central 

 Provinces, the breeding season is from December to January; the 

 nest is placed upon small trees from 15 to 20 feet from the 

 ground. It is circular like a crow's nest, of about, the same size 

 and composed of the same materials. I have now found two un- 

 finished nests of this bird. The first was in the Sanger district, 

 on the banks of a small nullah, in a pretty open bit of country 

 yet sufficiently wooded to keep the place moist and damp. This 

 nest was found on the 17th November, LSGO. The second one 

 was found in the Seoni plateau, on the 6th January, 1871, was 

 placed on a small Bosivelliu, thurifera tree, on the edge of a deep 

 ravine. The male bird was observed rising from the ground 

 carrying a twig in his bill and going directhf into the tree. This 

 fact led to tiie finding- of the nest which was nearly complete. 

 In the valleys of the Meikle range, in the winter of 1869-70, I 

 frequently met with this kite and broods of young ones, and 

 even saw their nests, but have not been fortunate enough to find 

 the eggs." 



