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NESTING IN WESTHRN INDIA. 217 
much later than most other members of the family, the month of 
April being the best to search for eggs. 
The nest is placed in a fork high up in a densely-foliaged tree 
usually an outer one of some small clump, and is rather a loose un- 
tidy affair, composed of sticks and twigs, and is unlined. It is often 
completed long before the birds are ready to lay. 
The eggs, three in number, occasionally only two, much more 
rarely four, are broad oval in shape, and unspotted greyish or bluish- 
white in colour, averaging rather more than 1°8 inches in length by 
1:53 in breadth. The egg lining is sea-green. The birds hang 
about the nests for days after it has been robbed, and sometimes 
lay again. They build a new nest every year. 
Neemuch, 5th April. H. H. Barnes. 
They are too common to need further details. 
55.—THE BRAHMINY KITE. 
Haliastur Indus, Bodd. 
The Maroon-backed or Brahminy Kite is distributed more or 
less commonly throughout the district, but is much more plentiful 
on the sea coast and in the vicinity of the larger rivers. 
It breeds during the first three months of the year, making its 
nest on any large tree, as a rule in the immediate vicinity of water, 
cocoanut palms when available being preferred; it is composed of 
sticks, and is generally unlined. 
The eggs, two in number, are moderately broad oval in shape, 
averaging about 2 inches in length, by nearly 1-65 in breadth ; they 
are greyish-white in colour, feebly spotted with pale dingy and red= 
dish-brown. They are rather smaller than those of the Common. 
Kite. They do not defend their nests from the assaults of the bird- 
nester, and desert them on the least provocation. 
E. Narra, Sind, 4th April. S. Doig, Esq. 
Hydrabad, Sind, 3rd March. H. H. Barnes. 
Bombay, 2nd Pebruary. 9 
Khandesh, 29th January. J. Davidson, C.S. 
Nassick, 4th December to 16th January. 5 
S. Konkan, January to March. G. Vidal, C.S. 
56.—THE PARIAH KITE. 
Milvus govinda, Sykes. 
The Common or Pariah Kite is abundant throughout Western 
India; it has a most extensive breeding season, commencing early 
