402 PYGOPODES. 



With us this species breeds at verj diiJerent seasons, according 

 to locality. In Cashmere they lay about the middle of May. 

 Throughout the Upper Punjab and the Doab they chiefly lay in 

 August and September. In Jhansi, July seems the favourite 

 month ; in the Nilghiris, May and June ; and in the Shevaroys, 

 August. The nests are sometimes fixed to the branches of some 

 water-overhanging tree a couple of feet abo\e the water, and are 

 then made of twigs, grass, leaves, and weeds ; but generally they 

 are mere masses of weeds and rush, founded on some tuft of 

 water-grass, and little, if at all, above the water-level. It is almost 

 impossible to catch the old bird on the nest, and almost as difficult 

 to surprise her so far as to make her leave the eggs uncovered. 

 Almost invariably they are concealed by a layer of fresh wet weed. 

 I doubt whether the birds sit much during the day, as I have 

 watched a pair that had a nest, containing five (as it turned out) 

 much-incubated eggs, nearly a whole day, and found that they 

 never left the comparatively open water in which they were feeding, 

 for the dense rush in which we found the nest next morning, for 

 more than five minutes at a time. The birds certainly did not see 

 me, as I was completely hidden and watching them through a pair 

 of binoculars. I suspect that during the day the combined heat 

 of the sun and the fermentation of the weeds is sufficient for in- 

 cubation ; and I have observed that some of the eggs (I presume 

 those first laid) are alwaj's much more forward than others. Dr. 

 Jerdon says they lay from five to eight eggs ; but I have never 

 seen or heard of any nest containing more than six eggs, and the 

 number is almost invariably five. 



Mr. Brooks writes : — " Got a nest, containing four eggs, of this 

 bird near Etawah in a jheel on 9th September, 1867. The nest 

 was a mass of weed and rush on a tuft of water-grass. The eggs, 

 slightly glossy. Shell, firm and hard. Shape, an oval, somewhat 

 pointed at both ends, though more so at one than the other. They 

 were a mottled, stippled, dirty yellowish brown all over, the small 

 end of one of the eggs a darker brown. They must of course have 

 been white when first laid, and have become the colour they are 

 (which is much like that of some addled Vulture's egg) from lying 

 in the midst of wet decaying vegetable matter." 



Mr. W. Theobald makes the following remarks on the nidi- 

 fication of this species in the Valley of Cashmere : — " Lays in the 

 second week of May. Eggs, five in number. Shape, pointed oval. 

 Size, 1-4 by 1-0. Colour, pure white. WuUer Lake. Nest, 

 similar to that of Podiceps cristatus." 



He further tells us that in the neighbourhood of Find Dadan 

 Khan and Katas La the Salt Eange they "lay in August and 

 September. Eggs, five. Shape, pointed oval to long ovato-pyri- 

 form, measuring from 1-42 to 1-5 in length and 1-0 to 1-04 in 

 breadth. Colour, pure white ; when recently laid, green ; is soon 

 soiled brown in the nest. Nest, a few weeds heaped on the rank 

 vegetation of jheels but floating, and usually several nests to- 

 gether." 



