Notes oil the Birds of the Samhhiir Lake ^' Us vlclnlt//. 371 



opening to end, 7^ inches, in breadth it was 4 inches, and tlie 

 opening- wiis 2 inches in diameter. The nest was oval in form, 

 coarse, and lumpy in texture externally, but comparatively smooth 

 inside. The egg cavity had a lining- of fine feathers, and the 

 entrance was lined with fluffy feathers. Nearly every nest 

 contained a bird, and in some cases I found two birds. 



112.-— Caprimulgus asiaticus, Lath. 



Not common. I had the eggs of what I suppose to belong to 

 this bird, from Dr. Jerdon^s description, sent to me from 

 Koochamun at the end of April. In ground color and marking 

 they much resemble the eggs of Pterocles fasciatus, but are 

 much smaller. 



114. — Caprimulgus monticolus, Franld. 



Not common. Generally found in the low-lying hills towards 

 Nawa. 



117.— Merops viridis, X. 



This species is very common. A young bird in my collection 

 has the central tail feathers shorter than the others ; above, the 

 color is pale green, a shade darker on the head, with no tinge 

 of golden about the feathers; the outer primary coverts are 

 tipped white. Beneath, from the throat to the vent, the color 

 is pale fawn mixed with green ; the collar is faintly marked 

 by a narrow line, and dots of green ; under tail covers, pale blue. 

 This bird commences to build here towards the end of March. 

 Although, as a rule, it prefers to build in a bank, I have taken 

 its nest on level ground. The nest is generally about three 

 feet deep, but I have seen them nearly six feet, and the egg 

 cavity is a long oval with the major axis about 5 or 6 mches ; 

 it is without any lining; the angle of the decline from the 

 opening to the nest is about 30°. In some nests which I have 

 dug out, a piece of kunkur or stone has caused the bird to 

 diverge at right angles from the straight line, and then follow 

 the same angle until a sufficient depth has been reached, I 

 have found as many as seven eggs in one nest, although four 

 or five is the normal number, and I have repeatedly found 

 the young birds in the most various stages of plumage, i. e., 

 one all but fledged, and the youngest covered with down. On 

 several occasions I have found frogs occupying the egg cavity 

 of this bird. 



120. — Merops segyptius, Forsk. 



This bird is rarely seen about Sambhur, but about the tree 

 and scrub jungle at Mata Pahar and the Marot hills it is very 



