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at an elevation of from 1500 to 2500 feet. It breeds in May
and June in hollows of trees. Any small hole suits for a nest,
and it lays four or five eggs, for I have seen it with as many
young, though I never took the trouble of getting out the eggs
themselves."

Mr. Davison says :—" This Nuthatch breeds on the Nilghiris as
high up as Ootacamund, nesting in holes of trees, and laying
three or four eggs, spotted with chestnut, pinkish red, or reddish
brown. The nest is composed of moss, moss-roots, &c., and lined
with feathers. I am not quite certain how long the breeding-
season lasts, but I think that it is from the middle of April to the
early part of May."

Miss Cockburn, of Kotagherry, sends me the following account
of the first nest she took of this species :—

" After having wished for some years to obtain the eggs of this
bird, I wtis delighted to hear from my brother that he had seen a
Nuthatch go into a small hole in a tree, and that, on looking into
it, he had seen something like a nest. I went prepared with a
chisel and hammer, but wished first to ascertain fully who the
owner of the nest was. After watching at a respectful distance
for a long time, an Indian Grey Tit flew to the hole and peeped
in. My first thought was one of great disappointment at having
ridden many miles with such high expectations to find only a
Common Titmouse's nest; but it did not last long; the inquisitive
Grrey Tit found the hole too small for him, and flew off just as
happily as he had flown to it. I continued to watch, and was
quite repaid by seeing a Velvet-fronted Nuthatch fly to the top of
the tree containing the nest, and descend rapidly down the trunk
(which was about 12 or 13 feet high), as if it knew where the wee
hole was, and disappear into it. This was sufficient proof as to the
proprietor of the nest; I walked quietly up to the tree, and when
within a foot of it out flew the bird. My handkerchief was stuffed
into the hole to prevent any chips breaking the eggs, should there
be any; and making use of the chisel and hammer, I soon made
the hole large enough to admit my hand. The nest contained three
eggs, which I most carefully extracted one by one. Tbe nest was
then brought out, and consisted of a quantity of beautiful green
moss, feathers (many of which belong to the bird), some soft fine
hair, and a few pieces of lichen. This nest was discovered on the
10th February. The tree it was found in grew nearly alone, at the
side of a road not much frequented.

"The eggs were quite fresh, and most probably the bird would
have laid at least one more; but these \vere sufficient to show the
colour of the eggs, which were pure white, with dark and light red
spots and blotches, chiefly at the thick end, besides a circle of spots
like a Flycatcher's eggs."

Mr. Rhodes W. Morgan, writing of South India, says, in ' The
Ibis':—" It breeds in holes of trees, preferring the deserted ones
excavated by Megalcema caniceps. The nest is built of moss, and
lined with the fluff of hares and soft feathers. The eggs are