76 CEATEROPODIDJE.

the rains (June to August), laying usually three or four eggs of a
bright greenish-blue colour. The nest itself recalls that of the
Blackbird, but it is frequently very clumsily made. On the 21st
June last a boy brought me a nest of this species containing eiglit
eggs. Two, if not three, of this clutch are easily separable from
the others, being more oval and somewhat smaller, and are unques-
tionably parasitical eggs ; but it is quite impossible to say -whether
they belong to H, varivs or 0. melanoleucus.

" Again, on the 9th July, I took a nest in person, which also
contained eight eggs. Seven of these are all alike and are well
incubated, while the eighth is quite fresh, and doubtless owes its
parentage to one of the above-mentioned Cuckoos.

" Strange to say I have now another nest marked down, which
in like manner contains the same number of callow young. It is
just possible that the foster-parents may have to perform double
duty in this case.

" Erom the foregoing it may be inferred that M. canorus does
occasionally lay more than four eggs, or as the birds are gregarious
even during the breeding-season, it is possible enough that two
birds may occasionally deposit eggs in the same nest.

" I should not think that ff. varius (the " Brain-fever and De-
lirium-tremens Bird" as it is frequently called) had much difficulty
in depositing her eggs in the nest of the Malacocerci, for I have
frequently noticed that all the Babblers in the neighbourhood make
a clean bolt of it immediately this Cuckoo puts in an appearance,
no doubt owing to its great similarity. to the Indian Sparrow-
Hawk (M. Radius).

" During the months of September and October I have observed
several Babblers in the act of feeding one young H. varius, follow-
ing the bird from tree to tree, and being most assiduous in their
attentions to the young interloper."

Mr. H. M. Adam remarks:—" I took a nest of this bird in Agra
on the 17th July. It contained five eggs, all of which were nearly
hatched. Again on the 21st I took another nest containing only
one hard-set egg."

Writing from Calcutta, Mr. J. C. Parker says:—" I found a
nest of this bird, near my house in Garden Beach, on the 23rd
June. It contained four fresh eggs."

Colonel Butler observes :—" The Bengal Babbler breeds in the
neighbourhood of Deesa as a rule, I think, during the rains and in
the cold weather, but I have found nests as late as March. The
nest is usually placed on the outside branch of some moderate-
sized tree (neem &c.). It is a somewhat solidly built structure
composed almost entirely of dead twigs, stems of dead leaves, and
stalks of coarse dry grass, being lined with a few fine fibrous roots
or steins of grass. I found nests on the following dates :—

" July 16, 1875. A nest containing 4 fresh eggs.

" March 20,1876. „ „ 4 fresh eggs.

" May 29, 1876. „ „ 3 fresh eggs.

" June 17, 1876. „ „ 3 fresh eggs.