TSE BIRDS OF GORAKHPUR. 533 



The heavy rainfall and level character of the land has produced a 

 damp climate and numerous swampy depressions or "tals" which 

 are very favourable to waders, ducks, and water birds generally. 

 It is consequently not surprising to find that out of a total of 263 

 birds recorded below 68 belong to this class. 



In the following list the numbers refer to those given in Oates' 

 and Blanford's Fauna. 



COBVID^. 



Corvus macrorhyncJms (4). — The Jungle Crow. 



Common. Eggs taken on 11th March 1910 and 17th March 1910. 



Corvus splendens (7). — The Indian House-Crow. 



Common. Eggs taken on 6th June 1911. 



Dendrocitta rufa (16). — The Indian Tree-pie. 



Common. Eggs taken on 12th June 1909. On one occasion I watched 

 this bird pounce on a lizard which it caught and ate. 



Farus atricejjs (31). — The Indian Grey Tit, 



Common. Eggs taken on 28th April 1909 and 21st April 1911. The 

 devotion of these birds to their nesting site was well shown in one of the 

 above nests. When I discovered it the bird was sitting on two eggs. 

 Thinking the mother was a young one I took out two eggs from under 

 her, the only two in the nest. She then escaped out of the hole. I did 

 not replace the eggs but revisited the nest after two days when I found it 

 again neatly tidied and containing two fresh eggs. 



Cratergpodid.^. 



Argya earlii (104). — The striated Babbler. 



Common in thick scrub and long grass in the north of the district. Shot 

 13th January 1911. 



Argya caudata (105). — The common Babbler. I do not remember ever 

 seeing this bird in the tracts of sal jungle but elsewhere it is generally dis- 

 tributed. 



Argya malcolmi (107). — The large Grey Babbler. Mr. Hope Simpson 

 shot a specimen on 1st February 1910, but it appears to be uncommon. 



Crateropus canorus (110).— The Jungle Babbler. 



Common. 



Timelia pileata (13^) . — The Red-capped Babbler. I only once saw this 

 bird, in high swampy grass near the Nepal border. This was on 19th 

 July 1909 when I shot it. Mr. Simpson however has seen it in large num- 

 bers though I think it is restricted to the north of the district. 



Pyctorhis sinensis (139). — The yellow-eyed Babbler. Not very common. 



Zostei'ops palpebrosa (226). — The Indian White-eye. 



Common . 



jEgithina iiphia (243). — The Common lora. 



Fairly common. Eggs taken on 9th June 1909 and 26th June 1910. 

 In Oates and Blanford it is stated that in winter the male loses all or most 

 of the black on the upper parts except on the tail and wings and becomes 

 yellowish green. This " winter " plumage is however the only plumage I 

 have seen these birds wearing though I have shot males on various dates 

 in May and June when the birds are breeding and should have donned 

 their summer plumage, if ever. All these males were purely green above 

 except one shot on 24th June 1910 which possessed two feathers on its 

 back tinged with black, thus resembling A. viridissima. This seems to 



