166 
Birds of I lie Jlielnnt District. 
its) took refuge from the Jiail in one of my servant's 
quarters ; the species is numerous now. 
M^rch 19. — l^^loods out over the golf course after the rain attracted 
a party of some twenty Kufi's and Reeves ; these birds were 
passing through on migration and I saw them about until 
the 2-lth, when I secured a couple whose crops and gullet 
were full of fine grass seeds — suridy rather unusual food for 
this species ? 
Maich ■.-•'(). — The floods have subsid(al again, leaving the sandbanks 
covered with a coating of fine wet mud — an ideal feeding 
place for the waders ; but the smaller species are rather 
inconvenienced by the fact that their short legs become 
very clogged by the mud which is a little too watery still 
for their comfort. The migration of waders is evidently 
in full swing as there are many Redshanks, Kentish Plovers, 
Stints, and Greenshanks . There is no apparent increase in 
the numbers of Green and Common Sandpipers, but per- 
haps a slight decrease of the last named. A number of 
Black-headed Gulls {Larus ridibnndus ) have arrived on 
migration — all have the black bar on the tail indicative 
of immaturity. The first Indian Skimmer (Rhijnchops al- 
hicollis), Red Turtle Dove (CEnopope.lia tranquebarica) and 
White-eyed Buzzard (Butastur teesa) of the season noted. 
A Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus dumetorum?) . A single 
Kingfisher {Alcedo ispida hcngalensis) . 
March 21. — A nest with four eggs of the Indian Wren-Warbler (Prinia 
inornata) about three feet from the ground in a thorn bush 
by the bungalow. The nest, which is represented in the 
accompanying sketch, was composed of very fine strips of 
green grass or possibly wheat, woven into a network re- 
sembling but not so compact or strong as that of Weaver 
bird's nests. No lining, and for the purpose of the draw- 
ing, many of the leaves round the nest have been removed 
The eggs are white with a very faint pinkish tinge, boldly 
blotched with chocolate and pale reddish-brown; these mark- 
ings showing a tendency to zone at the broad ends ; a few 
hairlines of the same colours at the broad ends, mostly 
within the zone area. The normal ground colour of the 
eggs of this species is blue and this white type- is so rare 
that Hume stated he had only seen six specimens amongst 
as many hundreds. 
A small party of Rose Finches or Scarlet Grosbeaks 
{Carpodacus crythrinus) noted — the first of the numbers 
which will pass through on migration. This species ap- 
pears about the time the mulberries ripen (they are still 
green) and is, I believe, known as the Mulberry Bird. 
A single Spotted Dove (Turiur suratrnsis) noted. 
March 22. — Spent the day on the river. A very great decrease in 
