418 Capt. R. C. Beavaii on various Indian Birds. 



inch. Fi'om eye to top of the crest 2*75 inches. Bill dark 

 horn- colour, fleshy at base ; legs greenish-brown. 



256. Lanius lahtora. Indian Grey Shrike. 

 Rare in Maunbhoom. 



260. Lanius hardwickii. Bay-backed Shrike. 

 Occasionally seen in Maunbhoom, but appears to be rare. 



261. Lanius crtstatus. Brown Shrike, 



" Khurkuteea.^^ Migrates to the neighbourhood of Barrack- 

 pore in the cold weather : I procured my first specimen there 

 on 28th September, 1864. Not common in Maunbhoom. 



265. Tephrodornis pondiceriana. Common Wood-Shrike. 



Appears to come to the Maunbhoom district (where it is called 

 " Arsun chota") for the purpose of breeding. I procured the 

 nest and eggs early in April, and the young w^ere nearly fledged 

 by the 20th of that month. They appear to come, year after 

 year, to particular localities to breed. Several nests were 

 brought me from the neighbourhood of Kashurghur both in 

 1864 and 1865, whereas none were seen elsewhere. The nest 

 is very small for the size of the bird, and the material of which 

 it is composed closely resembles the bird's plumage in co- 

 lour. The nest is round and very shallow, something like a 

 Chaffinch's, being very neatly made ; diameter inside 2 inches, 

 depth 1 inch ; composed of grey fibres, bits of bark, grass, and 

 the like, cemented with spiders' web. The eggs are two in num- 

 ber, greenish white, spotted with brown and slate-coloured dots, 

 which in most specimens form a well-defined zone round the 

 thickest part of the egg, leaving both ends without marks. 

 Length of the egg '75 inch ; breadth '59 inch. This bird was 

 not observed in Maunbhoom except during the breeding-season. 



267. Hemipus picatus. Little Pied Shrike. 

 Darjeeling collection, 1862. 



269. VoLvocivoRA MELAscHisTus. Dark-gTcy Cuckoo-Shrikc. 



Darjeeling collection, 1862 ; Maunbhoom in 1864 and 1865, 



where it was occasionally seen, but was by no means common. 



