AOBOOEPHALUS. 227

fifth day after leaving Nairn Tal—ever mindful of my friend
Mr. .Brooks's parting advice to me (in reference to the part of the
country which required to be investigated), ; avoid the lower kills
as the plague'—I reached Takula, which is the first inarch beyond
Aim or a on the road to the Pindari glacier, late on the evening of
the 10th of May. It rained heavily all that night, so that I was
obliged to halt the next day, my tents being far too wet to be
struck, and the distance to the next halting-place necessitating a
start the first thing in the morning.

" Takula is at an elevation between 5000 and 6000 feet; it is
beautifully wooded, with a small mountain-stream flowing right
under the camping-ground, and the climate is delightful. All
things considered, I was not sorry at having an opportunity of
exploring such productive-looking ground ; and before it was fairly
daylight the next morning operations were commenced in right
earnest. To each of niy collectors I apportioned off a well-wooded
mountain-slope, reserving for my own hunting-ground (as I had
not yet got my liill-legs) the water-courses and ravines in the im-
mediate vicinity of my camp.

" Not more than 20 yards from where my tent stood, there is a
deep ravine clothed on both banks with a dense jungle of the larger
kind of nettle (Q-irardinia heterophylla: such nettles too!), the hill-
dock (Rumea nepalensis\ and wild-rose trees. Wending my way
through this dark, damp, and muggy nullah to the best of my
ability, I came upon the nest of this interesting little bird; it was
placed in the centre of a rose-bush, at an elevation of some two
feet above the bank and about four feet from where I stood, but
yet in a most tantalizing situation, inasmuch as it was necessary to
remove several thorny branches before an examination of the nest
was possible.

" The act of cutting away the branches alarmed niy sombre little
friend (I knew that the nest was tenanted, as the bill and head
were distinctly visible through the lateral entrance), and out she
darted with such a * luhir' that anything like satisfactory identifi-
cation for a bird of this sort was utterly hopeless. The nest con-
tained four beautiful little eggs, so that to bag the parent bird was
a matter of the first importance; all my attempts, however, first
to capture her on the nest and next to shoot her as she flew off,
were equally futile, her movements being as rapid and erratic as
forked lightning. And here let me give a word of advice to my
brother ornithologists : Never attempt to shoot a wary little bird
in the act of leaving its nest, as you only run the risk, and mortifi-
cation I may add, of wounding perhaps an unknown bird, in which
case she will never again return to her nest; but lie in ambush for
her with outlying scants, and make certain of her as she is returning
to her nest. She will first alight on a neighbouring tree, then on
one closer, coming nearer and nearer each time; finally, she will
perch on the very tree or bush in which the nest is built, and
while taking a look round to see that all is well before making a
final ascent, you have yourself to blame if you fail to bag her, All

15*