8 Notes on the Nidification of Indian Birds. [July, 



haunts, eould not fail to perceive that G. albogularis and G. leucolo- 

 phus are allied in manners, voice and habits ; — that G. rufigularis, G. 

 -rythrocephalus and G. variegatus are likewise allied, — and that Trocha- 

 "opteron setifer vel lineatum stands distinct from all ; the three forming 

 distinct sections of the same group.* 



No. 9. — " Acridotheres griseus," (Horsfield.) 

 Maina cristalloides, Hodgson. 



This is a summer visitor in the hills, and is common at Mussooree 

 during that season, but it does not appear to visit Simla, although it is 

 to be found in some of the valleys below it to the south. It breeds at 

 Mussooree in May and June, selecting holes in the forest trees, gene- 

 rally large oaks, which it lines with dry grass and feathers ; — the eggs 

 are from 3 to 5, of a pale greenish blue ; shape ordinary, but somewhat 

 inclined to taper to the smaller end ; — diameter 1^ * -ff inches ; or 

 l^XJl inches. This species usually arrives from the valley of the 

 Doon about the middle of March ; and until they begin to sit on their 

 eggs, they congregate every evening into small flocks and roost toge- 

 ther in trees near houses ; in the morning they separate for the day 

 into pairs and proceed with the building of nests or laying of eggs. 

 After the young are hatched and well able to fly, all betake themselves 

 to the Doon in July. 



No. 10. — " Acridotheres tristis" (Linn.?) 



This too is a summer visitor in the hills, arriving with the preced- 

 ing species. The colour and number of eggs are also the same. It 

 is curious however to observe that while Mr. Blyth and Captain Tic- 

 kell state, that it builds in " out-houses, verandas and trees," in which 

 last, according to the latter gentleman, the nest is composed of " twigs 

 and grass within," — with us in the mountains its habits are precisely 

 those of A. griseus, and as with it, the hole of a tree is selected and 

 lined with dry grass and feathers ; — on no occasion have I ever seen a 

 nest made on the branches of a tree, and only once in any place except 

 the hollows of large oaks ; the exception being in the chimney of my 

 house, which the stupid bird had evidently mistaken for a hollow tree, 

 and seemed to be amazed that all the grass and feathers dropped into 

 it invariably fell to the bottom ; at last it contrived to place some grass 



* The difficulty is to class such species as c&rulatus, riificollis, and others of interme- 

 diate character. My imbricatus would rank with linearis, and numerous species in 

 Capt. Hutton's second group.— E. B. 



