1072 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVIll. 
low tree. The int. rior diameter is about 3 inches, and the depth nearly 2 
inches. 
I have never taken the eggs of this bird, but in shape they are described as 
ovals, rather thinner at one end, and of a clear, full, verditer-blue colour, measur- 
ing about 0- 88 by 0* 7 inch, 
Argya caudata (105) . . . . The Common Babbler. 
Local name . . . . . . Chilchil. 
Anglo-Indian name . . . . Bush-Sparrow. 
This bird is very common throughout the Western districts, and particularly 
in the jungle covered tracts of the Jhansi division, and southern portions of the 
Allahabad and Mirzapur districts. In the Eastern districts they occur, but never 
in any large numbers. Mr. Douglas Dewar in an article to the Pioneer some 
time back stated, I think, that this bird did not occur in the Ghazipur district, 
and he doubted if iu occurred at all in the Benares division. So far as my ob- 
servations go, I have seen small parties of this species in May and June on 
Baipur Island, not far from the civil station of Ghazipur, and in June found two 
of their nests ; while in the hilly tracts of the Mirzapur district(part of the Benares 
division) it is far and away the commonest bird to be seen ; occurring in small 
parties in almost every little patch of scrub. Indeed one has only to get down 
at Chunar railway station (E.I.R.) to find them comparatively common in the 
adjoining scrub jungle. 
The nest is typical, and when once .seen can never be mistaken for any other. 
As a rule the most noticeable points are, symmetery of form, cleanliness, the 
extraordinary thickness of the walls, and height from the ground ; while the 
egg cavity is as perfect a cup as can be imagined. They are constructed through- 
out of grass-roots, and vegetable fibres, usually unlined, but sometimes lined with 
fine grass stems and even horse hair; and are placed in low thorn bushes, the 
more thorny the better, and only occasionally in clumps of course grass. Exter- 
nally a nest would measure about 7 inches across, and the egg cavity from 2 
to 3 inches in diameter, and from 1| to inches in depth. 
The period of nidification is much prolonged, March to September, some 
stragglers even extending domestic operations into October and November. 
The bulk seem to have eggs in March, April, and May, the young ones being 
fully fledged by the end of June. The popular idea seems to be that there are 
two, and even three broods a year, but I have not been able to accumulate any 
evidence to justify this theory ; in fact I am inclined to believe that there is not 
much ground for arriving at this conclusion. 
The eggs in shape are typically moderately elongated ovals, slightly compress- 
ed towards one end, but globular, and pyriform varieties are not imcommon. The 
shells are usually brilliantly glosy and of a delicate, spotless, pale blue colour, 
a shade which varies very little indeed. A normal egg would measure about 
0.82 by 0.64 inch. 
Argya malcolmi (107) .. .. The large Grey Babbler. 
Local name . . . , . . Gangai, Sat-bhai. 
Anglo-Indian name . . . . Long-tailed Magpie. 
This bird is comparatively common, and breeds throughout the Province in 
suitable locahties. Here again the period of nidification is much prolonged, from 
about March to October, though nests are often found in December and January. 
The theory of two and three broods in the year seems to be applied generally to 
this species as well, but it would be difficult to substantiate this with rehable evi- 
dence. In the next species I have propounded a theory, or rather made a sugges- 
tion, which might be worth the consideration of any one sufficiently interested. 
Like Crateropiis canorus, this species associate together in small parties even 
when breeding, a departure from the general custom obtaining amongfst gregar- 
ious birds in regard to nidification, but where the former frequent gardens and 
groves, the present species are found more frequently in open spaces quite re- 
