138 
The B) 0)i-)) -hoclicd ludinv T>nhin. 
obforvei- Oaptain Beavan (Jor. cit .) considers it to bo a partial 
mifji'aiit in another district, not in the Punjab. Also in Jheluni 
disti ict, while noting- the species as a permanent reddcnt 1 had 
a slifjht suspicion that some individuals at least niii^ht be 
partial migrants. 
The Indian Robin is a cheery, spi'ightly little Iviid. 
with a large measure of the confulence of its English namesake. 
It is equally at home in trees or on the ground, but perhaps 
prefers a I'oof best of all. Its most noticeable attribute is the 
carriage of the tail, which is held up over the bo ly nearly at 
that acute angle so favoured of the Wren. As Thamnobia'.'* 
tail is pronouncedly long, the effect is somewhat striking, and 
is accentuated by the I'ed under-tail coverts. 
The nesting site chosen resembles that of the English 
Eobin m its infinite variety; in fact, any place that .suits the 
latter would suit the Indian bird, and in addition the Indian 
bird is ready to build in bushes and in holes of trees some 
height from the ground. The nesting materials cho en are grass, 
feathers, and any similar rubbish, usually with a lininjg of horse 
hair, cow's hair or human hair. In a very large proportion of 
nests examined will be found a piece or two of snake's 
' slough.' April to July are the only months in which I have 
found eggs, but I l)elieve that in the Central and So\ithern 
Punjab the bi'eeding season is i-eally earlier than that. 
The eggs are of a pale greenish colour (fading easily 
after cleaning), covered with spots or freckles of various 
shades of reddish blown. Instead of pale greenisli the gi'ound 
colour may sometimes Ije jniikish, pale ln'own,, or ci-eam 
coloui', Imt the greenish tint is the most common. 
The measui-ement of 7 eggs gives the following re- 
.sults: length 18.5 to 20.7 mm.; breadth U.o to 15.2 mm. 
Average measurements 19.7 by 15.0 mm. 
As an aviai-y bird the species would l>e most interest- 
ing, except that it Avould i)j'obal>ly be found somewhat quari-el- 
some. 
The following descrij)tions of two nests from Whist - 
ler's pen we are reprinting from " The Journal of the Bombay 
Natural History Society," Vol. XXIII., p. 155.— Ed. 
"28th April, 1911. — C/3 slightly incubated eggs found in 
a nest built under a large stone balanced on two others ; to the front 
