8 BREEDING SEASONS. 



The seasons for any particular kinds that may be spread throughout 

 the whole range of the Himalayas are usually somewhat earlier ia the 

 eastern, and later in the western portion. 



In the hills of south India the season is much the same as in the 

 Himalayas, but it begins earlier, and ends later. There too a second or 

 autumn brood is frequently hatched, while in the Himalayas, with 

 birds that have two broods, the first is usually in March, and the second 

 in June. In the southern hills^ the ranges being less lofty and easily 

 accessible to and from the plains, birds' nesting may be carried on with 

 more or less success over a much longer period by extending the rambles 

 to the forests at the foot of the hills from time to time. 



In the plains, where the tropical extremes of temperature occur, 

 the season never ends, every month of the year yields a fair harvest. 

 Some individual species breed all the year round, and where some leave 

 off, others begin, so that the birds' nester may be always fully employed- 

 In the dry parts of the plains, more especially towards the north and 

 west, the autumn months are comparatively barren seasons, the end of 

 the cold weather, and throughout the hot weather and rains being the 

 most prolific periods. 



In searching for birds' nests the great secret of success after all is 

 patience and perseverance, and when this is backed by keen eyesight 

 and a knowledge of the habits of birds, success is certain. When the 

 time cf breeding is known, the way is cleared to a great extent; but 

 when the time for any particular species is only to be found out by 

 observation, search may be guided by noting the breeding times of 

 closely allied kinds of birds. If the breeding of one species is known, 

 it may generally be inferred, though it is not always the case, that 

 other species of that genus will breed about the same time in that 

 locality. An exception to this is found among the crows, the common 

 crow {Corvus impudicus) breeding in the upper provinces in June, while 

 the raven ( C. corax) and the corby ( C. culmenatus) both breed in those 

 parts during the winter. Other exceptions will occur to all who have 

 collected eggs in this country, but the rule generally offers a fair guide. 



When this method leads to no results, the simplest way with 

 common species is to shoot a specimen from time to time and ascertain 

 by dissection whether breeding is in progress or not. Of course, if the 

 birds are rare, this method cannot be carried out ; for it defeats its own 

 object, and watching must be resorted to. With birds in which the 

 sexes differ in plumage, the disappearance of the hen birds, while the 



