70 FEBRUARY. 



pecker has eo;gs, while the palm roof swift in the Garo hills, the red- 

 hreasted parroquet, the common woodshrike, and the red jungle fowl 

 in the sub-Himalayan tracts are pairing off and preparing their nests. 

 Here too the river terns and scissor bills are congregating. 



In Central India, the vultures and the brahminy kite, probably 

 also the owls, and whatever species of eagles are found there, have eggs 

 still. The cliff swallow and dusky crag martin are hatching their first 

 brood. The pied kingfisher, the crimson-breasted barbet, the amethyst 

 rumped honey-sucker, the Indian amadavat, and the finch-larks have 

 eggs throughout the month, while the painted spur fowl, and probably 

 also the flower-peckers, nuthatches, woodpeckers, parrots, larks, and 

 some plovers are pairing. The river terns and scissor bills will also 

 probably congregate here too in this month. 



In Southern India, the breeding season is by this time further 

 advanced than in the north. The kestril has eggs throughout the mooth 

 in the Nilgiris. In the far south, eggs of the booted eagle may be taken, 

 and also those of the common kite, the Nilgiri nightjar, the goldeu- 

 backed woodpecker, the Nilgiri flower-pecker, the velvet-fronted 

 nuthatch, the quaker thrushes, babblers, laughing thrushes, bulbuls, 

 and bluebirds throughout the peninsular. In the Nilgiris the eggs of 

 the white-eyed hill tit may be found, and the Indian grey tit, the 

 jungle mynah, the crested larks, green pigeons, doves, jungle fowl, 

 spur fowls, grey partridges, and bush quail are also sitting. In the 

 extreme south the eggs of the snake bird, and possibly some other water 

 birds, may still be found, but the season for them is virtually over. 

 The following kinds are also commencing to pair and build their nests, 

 and should be watched particularly towards the end of the month : — 

 The southern sirkeer, the Utile pied (flycatcher) shrike (Hemipus 

 picaius), the spotted wreri babbler, the black bulbul, the robins, bush 

 chats, Nilgiri tit lark, long-tailed treepie, and Nilgiri sky lark. Of these 

 latter the eggs have not as yet been taken before the beginning of March. 



