«22 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATORAL BHTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIV. 



rapidly fell to pieces being loosely put together. They reminded me more 

 of the nest of the small White-throated Babbler {Dumetia albigularis) mora 

 than anything else though one cannot say they are domed. They place 

 their nests in ferns, quite low down almost on the ground, in a small bush 

 very like holly and in brambles : once you know the class of place they like, 

 their nests are not difficult to discover for if you see the birds hanging about, 

 you have only to look round and you can easily spot a nest if there is one. 

 Two eggs only are laid, of a greenish-white colour, speckled with rusty red, 

 not unlike those of the Jungle Wren- Warbler {Prinia sylvattcd). They nest 

 through April and May, 



The Grey-headed Flycatcher— ((72i/«c2ca^a ceylonensis) is fairly common 

 but somehow I had no luck. It takes a pretty 'cute bird to beat me when 

 I am on the look out for his nest, I watched these birds very carefully but 

 only succeeded in finding one nest, on the 6th May, containing young birds 

 very nearly ready to fly. This nest was purse-shaped and attached to the 

 trunk of a tree about 30 feet from the ground. I did not go up to have a 

 look at it so am unable to describe it. 



The Southern Pied Bush-Chat — (Pratincola atrata) is very common and 

 similar in habits to all birds of this class. It breeds in March, April and early 

 May and is not very particular as to site, any hole in a bank, wall, hedgerow, 

 house or even on the ground does not come amiss, provided it is fairly shel- 

 tered. They make a very comfortable nest, lining it with hair, down, roots 

 or any suitable materials, and lay four greenish-white eggs, speckled with 

 brown. 



The NiLOHiRi Blackbird— (iferwZa siniiUima) is very common and a beautiful 

 songster, he is to be heard all day and quite late in the evenings. I found 

 numberless nests, and they are not at all particular as to isites but prefer open 

 country, especially small trees along the banks of nullahs. The nest is a mas- 

 sive structure in which a lot of mud Is incorporated, moss, roots, leaves and 

 grass, are all used, while the nest is neatly lined and finished off. It is usually 

 placed in the stout fork of a tree and within hand-reach though occasionally 

 they may be some way up. Three greenish-blue eggs spotted, blotched and 

 streaked with brown are laid. I found one nest in a very curious position. 

 It was built where a small branch had been broken off the main trunk : there 

 was so little room for it that as soon as the bird commenced incubating, 

 her weight overbalanced the nest, and when I found it she was sitting with the 

 nest hanging down at an angle of about 45°; in all probability, had I left the 

 nest, it would have come down altogether in time. They have a long breed- 

 ing season as they were breeding when I went up and when I left. 



The Nilghiri Thrush— (Or^^ocmcZa ni/giriensis). This beautiful Thrush 

 may be common but being of a shy and retiring nature, I saw very little of 

 it. On the 31st May I was fortunate enough to find a nest containing two 

 fresh eggs, I left them a day but no more were laid, they were of a dull or 

 olive-greenish colour, dimly speckled with red. The ne;.t was situated on a 



