142 NOTES ON THE NIDIFICATION 



1.— Pseudogyps bengalensis, Gm. (5). 



December bth — All nests searched on this date contained one 

 young bird each. Nests placed in high Peepul trees near the top. 

 Breeds abundantly in Lower Pegu. (Nests and -Eggs., p. 7.) 



2.— Halisetus leucoryphus, Pall. (42). 



Eggs may be procured here from the 28th November to 29th 

 December. When the eggs are taken, the female lays again in 

 the same nest. Eggs always three. I have robbed one nest 

 for four consecutive years (in one year twice), and nothing will 

 induce the birds to desert the nest. Abundant in Lower Pegu. 

 (Nests and Eggs, p. 45.) 



3. — Butastur liventer, Temm. (48 ter.) 



March lltk. — Nest with two eggs ; more would probably have 

 been laid. The nest was in a mangoe orchard in a small tree 

 about 20 feet from the ground. It was composed of small 

 sticks and had no defined shape. Egg lining green ; shell pale 

 greenish white without gloss. Size of eggs T81 by T45 and 

 1-86 by 1-47. (Nests and Eggs, p. 50.) 



4. — Haliastur indus, Bodd. (55.) 



Takes a long time to build its nest. My first eggs were 

 taken on the 18th February. (Nests and Eggs, p. 51.) 



5.— Milvus affinis, Gould. (56 ter.) 



Nests commonly throughout all Pegu. Usually three eggs. 

 From 3rd week in January to end of March. The nest 

 answers well to Mr. Hume's description of that of govinda. 

 Average of 12 eggs, 209 X 163 ; in length they vary from 

 2*2 to 20, and in breadth from 1'75 to 155 ; the egg lining 

 is bright green ; the shell tolerably smooth and glossless; 

 ground color dull white, and all the eggs I have are marked 

 and blotched with rust color, bright in the majority, but pale 

 in a few. The marks are reduced to mere specks in one or 

 two eggs. 



6.— Strix flammea,* L. (60.) 



January 18^/j. — Sis young birds, varying much in age, were 

 brought to me. They were found in a hole iu the ground. Wtli 



* In tliia and in other cases the nomenclature is Mr. Oates'. I utterly dissent 

 from Mr. Sharpe's view of the specific identity of all the Barn Owls (nearly) of the 

 ■world. I should therefore call this species S. javanica, Gm. 



Similarly I should call Mr. Oates' Chalcoparia phaenicotis, Anthreptes sinaalensis, 

 and even if according to one school the name siagalensis be .rejected on account of 

 the species not occurring in Ceylon, a rule that I am not as yet prepared to adopt 

 even then Shaw's name rectirostris should probably be adopted. 



