COETDALLA EUFULA. 627 



numbers are seen within a very small circumference, yet they all seem to act quite independently of one 

 another ; their flight is undulating, and they utter as they rise and during flight a short sharp note. I have seen 

 them often rise into the air, however, for a few moments, sing a sort of song, and then descend." They do 

 not all sing thus as a constancy when breeding, like the Bush-Larks ; but I have ou one or two occasions 

 seen them rise and make a poor attempt at a Pipit-like warble. Jerdon likens it to a " mere repetition of one 

 note, during its descent from a short flight of a few feet from the ground." 



Nidification. — This species breeds in the west and south of Ceylon during May, June, and July, placing 

 its nest in a depression in the ground, under the shelter of a tussock or small tuft of herbage. It is generally 

 well concealed or artfully situated, so as to escape observation, for it is seldom found. In shape it is a shallow 

 cup, the bottom being thick and tolerably compact, while the edges are fined off to correspond with the grass 

 at the surface or edge of the hollow in which it is placed ; it is made of roots, dry grass, stalks of plants, &c, 

 and lined with fine grass, hair, or very small roots, the egg-cavity being about 2£ inches in diameter. The 

 eggs are usually two or three in number, of a whitish or greenish-white ground-colour, speckled and spotted 

 all over, but chiefly at the large end (where the markings unite to form an irregular zone), with greenisli 

 brown, light brown, or purplish brown, over which, in some, are more sparingly distributed blots of dark or 

 inky brown. Some eggs are openly marked all over with dark brown without the lighter wider spottings. In 

 size they vary from 0'76 to 0-89 inch in length by from 056 to 064 inch in breadth. The female sits closely 

 to preserve her eggs from the attacks of vermin and lizards; and incubation lasts from 12 to 14 days. 



In India the breeding-season lasts from March until July, April being the favourite month. The nests 

 are made of grass and roots, and lined scantily with finer roots. Some nests are almost entirely composed of 

 roots, and they are usually placed under the shelter of a tuft of grass. 



The eggs are said to be three in number, and are described as " typically of a brownish or greenish stone- 

 colour, thickly streaked, clouded, and streakily spotted with dull brownish and purplish red, and sometimes 

 with brown of different shades, or brown intermingled with pale purplish grey;" the markings have a tendency 

 to become confluent at the large end. In size the eggs vary from 075 to 0'86 inch in length, by 057 to - 63 

 inch in breadth [Hume). 



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