MILVUS. 175 



Mr. Benjamin Aitkeu remarks : — " Regarding the seasons of 

 breeding of this species, I have the following notes recorded of 

 observations extending over several years : — 



" 5th January. Breeding at Akola, Berar. 



" lst-8th Feb. Breeding at Akola, Beratr. 



" 22nd Feb. Breeding in Bombay. 



" 26th Feb. My brother wrote to me : ' Kites are sitting all over 

 Poona.' 



" 27th April. Birds- sitting all over Pooua. 



" 13th July. Breeding in Kurrachee. 



" 24th Sept. Madras ; saw a Kite carry away a long shred of 

 cloth for its nest. 



" 29th Nov. Saw a Kite carrying a twig or straw a yard long 

 to its nest." 



" 6th December. Watched a Kite carrying sticks to its nest. 



" In Ceylon," says Colonel Legge, " the Pariah-Kite breeds, as 

 I am informed, in the north about May." 



Mr. Davison tells me that " the Common Kite breeds on the 

 Nilghiris, but not very abundantly, during the months of December, 

 January, and February, and 1 have taken the nest at Madras in 

 the latter end of December ; on the Nilghiris the nest is usually 

 placed high up in some solitary tree. This Kite is very common 

 on the Nilghiris, ascending quite to their summits ; they usually 

 roost in company at night in some large tree, often in company 

 with Haliastur Indus." 



As regards the eggs themselves, the countless variety of types 

 of coloration u hich they exhibit defy description. I have before 

 me now specimens absolutely devoid of any trace of colour which 

 might well stand for gigantic specimens of Butastur teesa, but these 

 of course are very exceptional ; I have only two such in a series 

 of several hundreds. The ground-colour is almost invariably a 

 pale greenish or greyish white, more or less blotched, clouded, 

 mottled, streaked, pen-lined, spotted, or speckled with various 

 shades of brown and red from a pale huffy brown to purple, and 

 from blood-red to earth-brown. Many of the eggs are excessively 

 handsome, having the boldest hieroglyphics, blotched in blood-red, 

 on a clear white or pale green ground. Others again are covered 

 with delicate markings, as if etched on them with a crow-quill, but 

 no doubt the markings in the majorit}'' are more or less smudgy, 

 and but dingily coloured. In some few the ground-colour is a dull 

 mottled purple, clouded over with deeper shades of purplish brown. 

 Compared with many other species, the eggs do not vary so verv 

 much in size or shape ; they are normally a very perfect oval, 

 scarcely more compressed at one end than at the other, but elon- 

 gated, pointed, spherical, and pyriform varieties occur. The colour 

 of the shells, when held up to the light, varies a good deal ; in some 

 it is as light a green as Gircaetus gallims, in others as deep as in 

 Haliaetus leucoryphus. 



Although, as a rule, the eggs are glossless, a good many, when 

 freshly laid, bear more or less of a natural glaze, which vastly 

 brightens their colouring. 



