MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 831 



clod of earth at this, which fortunately struck the entrance and broke up, out 

 flew madam. I did not take long to get the eggs, which were quite fresh. I 

 then got 4 eggs from a ledge, they were exposed to the heavens with no pro- 

 tection. The third clutch was taken on the 24th May. On this occasion the 

 eggs were laid some way in. The female sat very close, in fact I had nearly 

 given up hope when out she came. 



Sylvia jerdoni. The Eastern Orphean Warbler. 

 I found this bird common round Quetta in the spring, more especially from 

 7,000 feet and upwards,and it breeds freely. Unfortunately I made this discovery 

 too late, otherwise I could have got many clutches. The first nest I came on 

 was on the 13th May; to my great disappointment it contained three young just 

 hatched and one egg hatching. However, my mourning was soon turned to joy 

 as T came on another nest, shortly after, containing 4 fresh eggs. In the same 

 locality, on the 20th May, I found a nest with three young and one addled egg, 

 and in another locality, much higher, I took 4 incubated eggs on the 18th June 

 and 4 fresh eggs on the 21st idem, besides finding many nests with young. 

 The nest is placed in a low bush and is not difficult to see. It consists of bents 

 and twigs and is lined with hair and fine material, cobwebs being used outside. 

 It is a compact neat cup, well made. The bird is a close sitter. 



Lanius phanicuroides. The Rufous Shrike. 



This bird is abundant on the hills near Quetta and comes down very nearly 

 to the plains surrounding it. It is curious how it should have come to be over- 

 looked. There is no doubt about its identity as I shot a specimen, which went 

 home to the British Museum. It frequents the low thorn bushes, common on 

 the hills. I took my first nests on the 1 3th May, which contained 4 and 5 fresh 

 eggs and my last on the 2 1st June, but these latter were at a much higher 

 altitude. The nest is the usual massive cup-like structure common to all shrikes, 

 bits of rag being utilized where obtainable. The site is usually the centre of a 

 low thorny bush. A few nests were found on road-side trees ; these were placed 

 where branches unite with the main stem, and were from 10 to 14 feet from the 

 ground. Were I remaining here another season, I am sure I could obtain as 

 many clutches as I desired. Five would seem to be the complement of eggs, 

 though t have taken six occasionally. The eggs are of the usual shrike type, 

 but of two varieties, one with a salmon pink ground, the other greenish. The 

 former is the commoner. 



Sylvia affinis. The Indian Lesser White-throated Warbler. 



Apparently a few of these little birds remain to breed. I found one nest on 



the 1 3th May, containing 4 incubated eggs and another on the 31st, with 4 



young. The nest was rather a flimsy structure of twigs, lined with bents and 



a little hair. They were both placed in low thorn bushes but not difficult to see, 



Ptyonoprogne rupestris. The Crag Martin. 



Fairly often seen flying about the cliffs of the valleys near Quetta. I took 

 four fresh eggs from a nest on the 31st May. It was attached to a rock some 



