of grass-roots. The eggs are
generally three or four in number."

Mr. Benjamin Aitken writes:--"All the nests which I have seen of the
Large Grey Babbler have been on babool-trees. At Akola (Berar) in
1870, a great many had their nests during the month of July. I have
recorded two instances of nests placed at a height above the ground of
15 feet and 20 feet. These were at Poona, one on the 21st April, and
the other on the 10th May. I could not go up to the nests, but the
birds in both cases were sitting closely. I have twice found nests
with only three newly-hatched young ones."

Colonel Butler informs us that "the Large Grey Babbler breeds in
the neighbourhood of Deesa during the rains. Both the nest and eggs
closely resemble those of _C. terricolor_, but the latter differ
slightly in being less elongated, not so pointed at the small end,
rounder at the large end, and somewhat paler in colour. I have taken
nests on the following dates:--

"July 19, 1875. A nest containing 4 fresh eggs.
"June 30, 1876. " " 4 fresh eggs.
"July 15, 1876. " " 4 fresh eggs.
"July 20, 1876. " " 3 fresh eggs.

"The nest in every instance was similar to that described by Jerdon,
viz.:--a loose structure of dead roots, twigs, and grass, the interior
being neatly lined with closely-woven roots of 'khus-khus.' The old
birds generally select some thorny tree (_Mimosa_ &c.) to build on,
and the nest is usually from 8 feet to 20 feet from the ground.

"Even in the nesting-season these birds are gregarious, joining a
flock generally as soon as they leave the nest."

The eggs of this species do not appear to me to differ perceptibly
from, those of _Crateropus canorus_. When one first takes a nest or
two of each of them, one is apt to draw distinctions and fancy that
the eggs of the two species can be discriminated; but after taking
forty or fifty nests of each species, it becomes obvious that there is
no variety of the one in either colour, shape, or size that cannot be
paralleled in the other. All I have said of the eggs of _C. canorus_
is applicable to the eggs of this species, and the only difference
that, with a huge series of each before me, I can discover is that, as
a body, there is less variation in the colour of the eggs of _Argya
malcolmi_ than in those of _C. canorus_.

In length they vary from 0.88 to 1.1, and in breadth from 0.73 to
0.85; but the average of fifty eggs measured is