Page:The Common Birds of Bombay.djvu/117

Rh it also builds its nests high, in any commodious hole or recess in a wall or tree. A favourite place is under one of the large ridge tiles at the corner of your roof. There are generally, I believe, four eggs, which are of a pale greenish colour, spotted or blotched with brown. Look for them in April or May.

The Stonechats and Whinchats are for the most part lovers of sandy wildernesses, and though several species are common on the arid plains of Guzerat and the Deccan, they avoid the coast. There are two, however, which may be mentioned here. One is what Jerdon calls the White-winged Black Robin (Pratincola capratti), a dapper little black-and-white bird, which balances itself on the point of a reed, or the topmost twig of a bush, and jerks its tail about and utters little warbling Robin-like notes. All who cross the harbour in search of snipe must know it very well, and on the outskirts of Bombay you may fall in with it. It builds its nest in similar places to the Common Robin. The other is a sandy-coloured bird, with black-and-white tail, which. Jerdon called the Wheat-ear (Saxicola œnanthe). It is not the true Wheat-ear, however, but a spurious imitation, and is stigmatised in "The Fauna of British India" as the "Isabelline Chat." On cold weather mornings you will sometimes find it perched on railings about the Esplanade.

The Redstart is another bird every one ought to know, which fits in here. It is common in Poona and all over the Deccan, and very familiar, coming about our houses and sometimes hopping in at the door. On the coast it is not so common, but you may meet with it anywhere, and it is a distinguished