Birds of Lucknow, 553 
known as the Sliama in Lucknow, where, though not 
numerous, a few are always to be found amongst old ruins. 
It breeds from March to July ; but most eggs, I think, are 
hatched by the end of April. A couple of pairs or so always 
frequent the main building of the Martini^re, making their 
nests in the dormitories, in spite of the frequency with which 
they are robbed. I have been unlucky with their eggs ; the 
only specimens which I have found were in a nest in a ravine 
near Cawnpore. Once or twice I have found young birds. 
The few eggs which I have seen have been light blue^ 
sparsely spotted with yellow-brown or brownish red. 
Average of 8 Lucknow eggs , . . . . "80" x *61" 
]V|easuremeut of largest Qg^ '81" x '61" 
„ smallest eg^ -78" X -60" 
No. 644. UuTiciLLA RUFivENTRis. Indian Redstart. 
Lalgonda [H., teste Reid]. Devil-bird [Anglo-Indian 
boys]. 
A very common winter visitor, arriving in September or 
earlier, and staying on into May. 
No. 647. Cyanecula suecica. Indian Blue-throat. 
Cut-throat [Anglo-Indian boys] . 
Very common in the cold weather, especially so in the 
crops lying along the river-banks. 
No. 661. Thamnobia cambaiensis. Brown-backed Indian 
Robin. 
Dama [H., and Anglo-Indian boys]. 
A very common and permanent resident. It has a 
pretty song in the breeding-season, and, at this period, as 
remarked by Reid, it has the habit of " dancing about all 
the time with its wings in a trailing position and its tail 
erect."*^ 
It breeds from March to July, making a Robin-like nest 
of grass, moss, hair, &c., in holes in buildings, walls, ravines, 
or occasionally amongst the leaves of the aloe and cactus. 
The eggs, three, or occasionally four, in number, are white or 
greenish white, rather thickly spotted and blotched with 
reddish brown, chiefly at the larger end. In the nests of 
