Notes on the Birds of the Samhhuf Lake ^' Us vicinitu. 381 



To show how fearless this little bird is, I may mention that 

 in April last one of them built in a hole in a bath-room wallj 

 and did not appear to be frightened by the people going out 

 and in. About three weeks after^ the young had left the nest, the 

 birds laid three eggs in the same nest^ and these I took on 

 10th April 1873. 



497. — Ruticilla rufiventris, Vieill. 



This species is not very common. From the series of birds 

 now before me, it would seem that the grey of the head and 

 back becomes deep black. In a male, shot in September, the 

 feathers of the head and back are deep black, with only a few 

 grey tippings to some of the feathers. The female is pale 

 brown above, with the rump and tail feathers like the male, but 

 paler. There is also a pale rufous frontal band. 



514. — Cyanecula cserulecula, Pall. C duQ.x.j^' 



The Indian blue-throat is common about this. It freqxients 

 the long grass about the open wells and the fields adjoining the 

 wells. I feel certain that it breeds here, but I have never 

 obtained a nest. 



515.— Calamodyta brunnescens, Jerdon. 



I have three specimens of this reed warbler. Male, shot 

 11th April 1873. Length, 8*2 ; expanse, 11 -1 ; wing, 3-6 ; tail 

 from vent, 3" 1 ; tarsus, 1*3; bill at front, 1*1. Irides, greyish 

 brown. The last I shot was in the niiddle of May. It was a 

 female, and the eggs in the ovary were very minute. 



516. — Acrocephalus dumetorum, Blyth. 



The lesser reed warbler is not often met with here. I have 

 seen it once or twice hunting for insects amongst the reeds in a 

 tank close to my house. After each hunt it perched well up on a 

 reed and uttered its peculiar loud call. 



Male, length, 5'6 ; expanse, 7*8 j tail from vent, 2-3. 



Female, length, 5-3; expanse, 7*3; tail from vent, 2; bill 

 at front, 0'7 ; wing, 2*3 ; tarsus, 0"9. 



530.— Orthotomus longicaudus, Gmel. 



The tailor bird is very common about this. It breeds from 

 June to August. Male, length, 7*6 ; wing, 2 ; tail from vent, 

 4*3 j bill at front, 6 ; tarsus, 0'8. 



538. — Prinia Hodgsoni, Blyth. 



The Malabar wren warbler appears to be pretty common in 

 the hills towards Koochamun. I have never shot it, but a batch 



