Indian Birds 
A dull inconspicuous brown bird. It fre- 
quents buildings and is robin-like in its habits. 
As it hops about it continually bobs its head. 
The cock sings a sweet little lay. The nest is 
made up of dried grass and placed in a niche 
or on a ledge in an outhouse, or a mosque, or 
even an inhabited room. It is made of dried 
grass and roots, and falls to pieces if lifted 
from its foundation. The eggs are pale blue 
blotched with reddish yellow. 
Found in Punjab, Rajputana, U. P., and 
C. P.; very common at Lahore. 
65. Ruticilla rufiventris: The Indian Red- 
start. (F. 644), (J. 497), (I.) 
Cock: Each feather of the head, breast, and 
upper plumage is black, fringed with grey, so 
that after the autumn moult the cock is dark 
grey in these parts; but gradually the grey 
edges wear away, so that by the spring the 
head, neck, and upper parts of the cock look 
black. The rump and the feathers over the tail 
are reddish chestnut. The abdomen is orange- 
red. All the feathers of the tail are reddish ex- 
cept the two median ones, which are brown. 
Hen: Reddish brown when the cock is 
grey or black; otherwise like the cock, except 
that the red in her plumage is duller. 
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