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birds lay in the Himalayas, which they ascend to elevations of
6000 feet: and the latter half being that in which we find most
eggs in the plains; but in both hills and plains some eggs may be
found throughout the whole period above indicated.

The nests of this species are almost invariably placed on forks of
trees or of their branches at no great height from the ground;
indeed, of all the many nests that I have myself taken, I do not
think that one was above 15 feet from the ground. By preference
they build, I think, in thorny trees, the various species of acacia,
so common throughout the plains of India, being apparently their
favourite nesting-haunts, but I have found them breeding on toon
(Cedrela toond) and other trees. Internally the nest is always a
deep cup, from 3 to 3^ inches iu diameter, and from 1| to 2~ deep.
The cavity is always circular and regular, and lined with fine
grass. Externallv the nests vary greatly ; they are always massive,
but some are compact and of moderate dimensions externally, say
not exceeding 5| inches in diameter, while others are loose and
straggling, with a diameter of fully 8 inches. Grass-stems, line
twigs, cotton-wool, old rags, dead leaves, pieces of snake's skin,
and all kinds of odds and ends are incorporated in the structure,
which is generally more or less strongly bound together by fine
tow-like vegetable fibre. Some nests indeed are so closely put
together that they might almost be rolled about without 'injury,
while others again are so loose that it is scarcely possible to move
them from the fork in which they are wedged without pulling them
to pieces.

I have innumerable notes about the nests of this Shrike, of
which 1 reproduce two or three.

" Etawali, March 18th.—The nest was on a babool tree, some
10 feet from the ground, on one of the outside branches ; an
exterior framework of very thorny babool twigs, and within a very
warm deep circular nest made almost entirely of sun (Crotaktria
juncea) fibre, a sort of fine tow, and flocks of cotton-wool, there
being fully as much of this latter as of the former; a few fine
grass-stems are interwoven; there are a few human and a few
sheep's wool hairs at the bottom as a sort of lining. The cavity of
the nest is about 3 inches in diameter by 2 deep, and the side walls
and bottom are from li to 2 inches thick."

" Bareitty, May 27th, 1867.—Found a nest containing two fresh
eggs. The nest was in a small mango tree, rather massive, nearly
2 inches in thickness at the sides and 3 inches thick at the bottom.
It was rather stoutly and closely put together, though externally
very ragged. The interior neatly made of fine grass-stems, the
exterior of coarser grass-stems and roots, with a quantity of cotton-
wool, rags, tow string and thread intermingled. The cavity was
oval, about 3| by 3 inches and 2 inches deep."

" Agra, August 21st.—Mr. Munro sent in from Bitchpoorie a
beautiful nest which he took from the fork of a mango tree about
40 feet from the ground, a very compact and massive cup-shaped
nest, not very deep."