628 



NOTES ON NESTS TAKEN FROM MARCH TO JUNE 

 AT KOHAT AND MUSSOOREE, NORTH- 

 WESTERN PROVINCES. 

 By Captain R. H, Rattray. 



KOHAT. 



The Raven {Corvus corax). — I found a nest in a small tree over- 

 hanging a stream, about 20 feet up, in a large fork. It was built, as 

 usual, of sticks and twigs and lined with a large piece of goat's skin, 

 with the hair attached. Eggs four, slightly incubated. This bird 

 breeds commonly here, but owing to the paucity of trees it is difficult 

 to find many of them. 



The Black-rumped Magpie {Pica hottanensis). — This bird breeds 

 plentifully across the border. I sent men out, who brought me in a lot 

 of fully-fledged young ones in May. They found eggs, ^ it not quite 

 understanding my meaning left them until hatched, and then came in 

 with the young birds. 



The Indian Paradise Flycatcher (Terjjsiphoiw paradisi). — This 

 bird breeds here fairly plentifully. On my return from leave, a few 

 days ago, I saw them here, and on searching found some nests which 

 contained half-fledged young ones. I got one nest on the 28th of 

 June, with three addled eggs in it. This nest was suspended from 

 three very fine iwigs, about 15 feet from the ground. It was neatly 

 made of fine grasses and fibres, with a thick coating of spider's 

 web. The cup was a very deep one, being almost two inches in depth. 

 BoNBLLi's Eagle {Flieraetus fasciatus), — This bird is convmon and 

 breeds here, but owing to the hills being across the frontier, it is 

 almost impossible to get at the nests. One nest I had a man let 

 down to as it was built on a ledge of a high cliff" and almost inaccessible. 

 It contained young ones about three weeks old on the Srd April. 



The Shahin Falcon {Falcon peregrinator). — I failed to procure this 

 bird's eggs, but it undoubtedly breeds in the hills near here. There 

 were two nests within reach of the station — one at Nin Gauli and the 

 second at Hangu, 29 miles off". On 10th April, the one at Hangu was 

 ready to lay in, but the birds deserted owing to my sending a man 

 down to inspect the nest. It was, as usual, built of sticks and twigs 

 on a ledge ovorhauging by a rock, 'lie young were subsequently 



