Notes on the Birds of the Samhhur Lake Sf its vic'mity. 367 



Taj and other biiildingsin Agra. The quarries are very extensive^ 

 and are still worked to supply the demaud in Agra. There 

 is also a brisk local trade in the manufactui'e of Hindu gods, and 

 dishes of Indian pattern, and it is very interesting to see whole 

 families, with children seven, or eight years of age, turning out 

 vessels of the most elegant designs with the rudest tools. The 

 walls of the houses are chiefly built of marble chips, and the 

 town presents a weird appearance when seen from a distance, 

 but the most curious thing which I observed during my visit 

 was a group of boys winnowing the sandy soil to obtain pure 

 grains of silica for polishing the marble^ and the result of a 

 day^s work for each was only about six pounds in weight. 



I now append a list of the birds which I have observed at 

 the lake and in its neighbourhood. 



The accompanying sketch map shows the outline of the 

 lake and the position of the places referred to. 



The numbers'^ given are those used in Dr. Jerdon's Birds of 

 India and Mr. Hume^s Catalogue. 



1. — Vultur monachus, Lin. 



Met with in the cold weather. 



-2.— Vultur calvus, >S'cop. 



Common. In March I saw this bird sitting on its nest, which 

 was in the face of a rock in the hills near the town of Nawa. 



3 6*s.— Gyps fulvescens, Hume. 



Common. 



4. — Gyps Indicus, Scop. 



Very common.* This species breeds oil the Taragurh Hill near 

 Ajmere, about 50 miles from Sambhur, from December to 

 February; vide page 21 of Mr. Hume^s " Rough Notes.'''' 



5. — Gyps Bengalensis, Gmel. 



Very common. The great number of camels and bullocks 

 which die here attract these birds in great numbers. 



6. — Neophron ginginianus, I>aud. 



This species, in every stage of plumage, is very common all 

 round the lake. I have taken the nests from the walls of the 

 Sambhur Fort, from the tops of temples, and from peepul 

 trees. It breeds here during March. 



8.— Falco peregrinus, L. 



All through the cold weather, and until about the end of 

 March^ a few pairs of this species are to be found frequenting 



* Mr. Hume has kindly revised the nomenclature and identified all doubtful birds. 



