MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 
1135 
No. XIX.- OCCURRENCE ON THE NILGIRIS OF A PARTIAL 
ALBINO OF THE SOUTHERN INDIAN SCIMITAR BABBLER 
[POMATORHINUS HORSFIELDI TRAY ANCORIEN SIS) 
(HARINGTON). F. B. I. No. 120. 
Oil the 29th June of tlii.s year, Mr. G. Oakes of Downham, Kalhutty Sigur 
Ghat, Nilgiris (elevation 5,500 feet), very Idndly sent me a pair of these birds, 
shot in his fruit garden. One was the ordinary type, the other was a partial 
albino of which the following is a description ; — Length 8'5", wing 3'5", tail 
3‘5", tarsus 1‘25", bill from gape P2". Bill orange yellow, the nostrils and a 
small portion of the basal part of the upper mandible greenish, legs and feet pale 
leaden blue, soles and claws yellow, iridcs red-brown. The whole lower plumage 
from the chin pure silky white, upper plumage, including the head, white streaked 
in places with pale brown, primaries and secondaries white faintly edged exter- 
nally with pale brown, tertiaries white, rather broadly edged on both webs with 
pale brown, tertiary coverts darker brown with white tips, the other coverts pure 
white, tail white, wth some of the feathers edged with pale browm. 
Prospect Lodge, Ootacamund, H. R. BAKER, 
Nilgiris, Lt.-Col., I. A. [Retd.) 
ZOth June 1922. 
No. XX.— BREEDING OF THE INDIAN PITTA {PITTA BRACHYARA 
AND THE STREAKED WREN WARBLER {PRINIA LEPIDA). 
In Vol. XXVIII. No. 1, Mr. R. C. Bolster, I.C.S., has notes on these two species. 
As I have had some experience of them, I venture to give this now. 
I have not access to my Natural History Magazines, but I know' I published 
notes in them regarding the Indian Pitta. This bird is fairly plentiful on the Ghats 
near Mhow, Central India, during the monsoon. In 1909-10, I took many nests 
through June and July. I was commanding at Dehra Dun in 1919, where the 
Indian Pitta arrived in June, and on the 17th of that month I obtained 4 fresh 
eggs from a nest in a shad}' nullah not far from the Body Guard Lines. As I had 
a fairly good collection of eggs of this bird, I did not woriy much about them. The 
impression I formed W'as that, although it was fairly common during the month, 
most birds moved further on to breed for I found no more nests. As they are 
most conspicuous, had they been plentiful they could hardly be overlooked. As 
regards the Streaked Wren Warbler {Prinia lepida) I foimd many nests during 
1916-17, when quartered at Ferozepore and Lahore. The majority during July. 
The earliest date recorded is, however, 9th April 1917, and the two latest 9th 
and 10th October 1916. 
I have had very similar experiences to those of Mr. Bolster regarding the 
“ Destruction of Birds’ Nests ” and am at a loss to account for them. Mt'nas, 
Tree pies. Crows, Coucals and Shrikes, 1 know are not above suspicion, but there 
are many other enemies to small birds. 
Cape Town, South Africa, R. M. BETHAM, 
15th March 1922. Brig. -General. 
No. XXI.— CURIOUS SITE FOR NEST OF THE BENGAL RED 
VENTED B\lUB\]'L{MOLPASIE8 HAEMARRHOUS BEN GALEN SIS). 
As is well known these Bulbuls usually nest on trees and bushes but a pair here 
have built a nest under the eaves of a thatched roof. The nest is placed resting 
40 
