1074 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXV 111. 
not tend to bring it into prominence, so that one is apt to pass it by. I draw my 
conclusions, however, from the number of nests I have seen and taken. 
The only districts in which I have taken eggs are Lucknow and the southern 
portions of Cawnpore and Mirzapur, though I have seen the birds on several oc- 
casions at Rae-Bareli, Fatehpur and Allahabad. I have never met with them 
in Benares and Ghazipur. The period of nidification is comparatively short, 
June to August, though in the Lucknow district I found the eggs most 
common in July, after the rains had set in well. One had only to walk along 
certain railway embankments to find the nests in the grass. 
The nest is more or less globular, often egg-shaped, and the materials used in 
construction vary in regard to the position of the nest. In fact it may be regard- 
ed as a general rule that it is composed of material obtainable in the immediate 
vicinity. When placed in bamboo clumps it is made of bamboo leaves lined in- 
ternally with fine grass roots and vegetable fibre, and if placed in grass it is almo.st 
invariably made of broad grass-blades lined with fine grasses, hair, and vege- 
table down. 
The nest varies from 4 to 5 inches in diameter, and as a rule is well concealed, 
in some cases practically touching the ground, so that one has to search pretty 
carefully to find it. The usual complement of eggs appears to be four, though I 
have often taken only three. In shape they are short, broad ovals, very slightly 
compressed, and as a rule are characterised by irregular, smudgy, confluent 
zones, at the largo end, of shades varying between red, and brownish-purple. 
The groimd colour is white, pinkish-white, and bluish-white ; and the small end 
faintly spotted and speckled with reddish-brown. A normal specimen 
would measure about 0.67 by 0.53 inch. 
Pyctorhis sinensis (139) The Yellow-eyed Babbler. 
Local names . . . . . . . . . . Bara-podna ; Bara-piddi. 
Anglo-Indian name . . . . . . . . Reed-Warbler. 
This bird is to be found in most districts in the province, though I would not 
regard it as common. It seems to occur more abundantly in grass lands, and 
especially in the long, coarse grass along the banks of rivers and streams. I have 
noticed the birds on several occasions while out pigsticking, but I cannot claim 
to have taken many of their nests, and those only in the Lucknow district. 
The period of nidification apj)ears to be from the end of June to August and 
September, most of the nests being started after the rains have set in, and the 
grass is green and robust. The birds are frequently met with in gardens, while 
nests have been found in bushes and shrubbery. But the few nests I have seen 
have always been built in thick coarse grass, suspended between two or three 
substantial reeds, usually in the densest part. 
The nest is cone-shaped, the apex being at the bottom. It is strong, solid, 
and compact, being composed of long strips of strong grass and vegetable fibres, 
tightly wound round and kept in place with cobwebs and gossamer-threads. 
At the top of this structure is the egg-cavity which is beautifully cup-shaped, 
measuring about 24 inches in diameter, and 2 inches in depth, and lined with fine 
twigs and vegetable fibre closely interwoven. 
The fuU complement of eggs appears to be five, and they are usually very beauti- 
ful to look at. Some specimens are almost bright blood-red throughout with 
white, or pinkish-white, grornid colouring showing through here and there ; while 
in others the ground colouring is more conspicuous and is covered over with irreg- 
ular spots, blotches, and clumsy daubs of shades ranging between brick-dust 
red and palejpurple, intermingled sometimes with hierogl3^hic streaks. In size 
and shape they vary a good deal, but are typically very broad ovals, obtuse at 
the small end ; and a normal specimen would measure about 0.73 by 0.59”. 
{To he continued.) . 
