THE BIRDS OB' NORTH KANARA. 675 



879. Pykrhulauda grisea, Scop. 

 This lark is scattered along the coast from Ankola to Bkutkul, and 

 is found in the eastern part of the district. It is not common any- 

 where. It breeds in March and April. 



886. iEiHOPYGA viGORSi, Sykes. 

 This bird is very rare in Kanara. Mr. Aitken saw a pair near 

 Gokern in April, 1889, and I saw a specimen from the train below 

 Castle Rock in May, 1895. 



894. Arachnechthra lotenia, Linn. 



This forest-loving bird is fairly common about Karwar at all seasons 

 and among the forests and groves along the coast. Above Ghats it is 

 found all along the line of Ghats and over the west of Sirsi and Sidda- 

 pur. It breeds at the close of the rains and also in February. The 

 nest resembles that of A. asiatica, but is of course larger. It is placed 

 generally at a height of about 15 feet or so, and, instead of being in an 

 exposed place like that of A. asiatica, it is carefully concealed among the 

 branches, and is very difficult to find ; the eggs are similar to those of 

 A. asiatica and only slightly larger. 



895. Arachnechthra asiatica, Linn. 



Common all over the district above and below Ghats, except in the 

 thick evergreen forest. It breeds in the latter part of the rains and 

 again from February to April. 



900. Arachnechthra minima, Sykes. 



This lovely little bird is intensely common in all the forests below 

 Ghats, along the Ghats, and in the central portion of the district, but 

 absent from Halyal, Mundgode, and the extreme east. It breeds from 

 December to April, making its nest at low elevations ; nine out of every 

 ten I have found being within five feet of the ground. By far the 

 largest number of nests I have seen, have been built on the tops of 

 stems of karwe (Strobilanthes), placed either on the side of roads or on 

 the edge of forest. The nests are very small and neat hanging balls of 

 bright green moss and white lichens, and easily distinguishable from 

 those of any other sunbird of Western India. The eggs are two ; white 

 closely mottled with fine spots of purplish-red, and in no way resem- 

 bling those of A. asiatica or A. zcylonka. I must have taken much 

 over fifty nests, so there can be no doubt as to the coloration of the eggs 

 at least in Kanara. 

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