320 lahiidjs. 



* 



Mr. P. E. Blewitt records the following note : — 



" Breeds from March to August, on low trees, and, as would 

 appear, without preference for any one kind. 



" The nest in shape much resembles that of Lanius lahtora ; but 

 judging from the half-dozen or so I have seen, L. erythronotus cer- 

 tainly displays more skill and ingenuity in prepariug its nest, 

 which in structure is more neat and compact than that of L. lahtora. 

 In shape it is circular, ordinarily varying from 5| to 7 inches in 

 diameter, and from 2 to 2\ inches in thickness. Hemp, old rags, 

 and thorny twigs are freely used in the formation of the outer 

 portion of the nest, but the Shrike shows a decided predilection 

 for the former. In one nest I observed the cast skin of a snake 

 worked in with the outer materials ; in two others some kind of 

 vegetable fibre was used to bind and secure the thorn twigs, and one 

 had the margin made of fine neem-tree twigs and leaves. The egg- 

 cavity is deeply cup-shaped, from 3 to 4 inches in diameter, and 

 lined usually with fine grass. Five appears to be the regular num- 

 ber of eggs ; but on this score I cannot be very certain, seeing that 

 my experience is confined to some half-dozen or so of nests. 



" I have recently reared three young birds, and it is very amusing 

 to witness their many antics, shrewdness, and intelligence. They 

 are very tame, flying in and out of the bungalow at pleasure ; 

 when irritated, which is rather a failing with them, they show 

 every sign of resentment. If one is inclined, to be rebellious, not 

 coming to call, the show of a piece of meat at once secures its sub- 

 mission and capture. Singular how partial they are to raw meat, 

 and more singular to see the expert way in which tbey catch up 

 the meat with the claws of either leg, and hold it from them while 

 they devour it piecemeal. I saw the other evening an old bird 

 pounce on a field-mouse, kill it, aud then bring and cleverly fix 

 the victim firmly between the two forks of a branch and pull it in 

 pieces. It consumed but a part of the mouse." 



Mr. W. Theobald makes the following note on this bird's breed- 

 ing in the neighbourhood of Pind Dadan Khan and Katas in the 

 Salt Range : — "Lay in May ; eggs five to six ; shape blunt, ovato- 

 pyriform ; size varies from 088 to 0-93 of an inch in length, and 

 from 068 to 0-81 of an inch in breadth. Colour white or pale 

 greenish white, slightly ringed and spotted with yellowish grey 

 and neutral tint. Nest of roots, coarse grass, rags, cotton, &c, 

 lined with fine grass, and placed in forks of trees." 



Captain Hutton, who recognizes the distinctions between this 

 species and L. caniceps, says : — 



" This is an abundant species in the Doon, but is found also 

 within the mountains up to about 5000 feet. In the Doon I took 

 a nest on the 28th June containing four eggs. It is composed of 

 grass and fine stalks of small plants roughly put together, bits of 

 rag, shreds of fine bark, and lined with very fine grass-seed stalks ; 

 internal diameter 3 inches, external 6 inches ; depth 2| inches." 



Sir E. 0. Buck notes having taken a nest containing four hard- 

 set eggs on the 22nd of June, far in the interior of the Himalayas, 

 at Niratu, north-east of Kotgurh. The nest was in a tuhar tree, 



