“Bareilly, 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 31/2 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.”

Mr. F.R.  Blewitt records the following note:—­“Breeds from March to August, on low trees, and, as would appear, without preference for any one kind.

“The nest in shape much resembles that of Lanius lahtora; but judging from the half-dozen or so I have seen, L. erythronotus certainly displays more skill and ingenuity in preparing its nest, which in structure is more neat and compact than that of L. lahtora.  In shape it is circular, ordinarily varying from 51/2 to 7 inches in diameter, and from 2 to 21/2 inches in thickness.  Hemp, old rags, and thorny twigs are freely used in the formation of the outer portion of the nest, but the Shrike shows a decided predilection for the former.  In one nest I observed the cast skin of a snake worked in with the outer materials; in two others some kind of vegetable fibre was used to bind and secure the thorn twigs, and one had the margin made of fine neem-tree twigs and leaves.  The egg-cavity is deeply cup-shaped, from 3 to 4 inches in diameter, and lined usually with fine grass.  Five appears to be the regular number of eggs; but on this score I cannot be very certain, seeing that my experience is confined to some half-dozen or so of nests.

“I have recently reared three young birds, and it is very amusing to witness their many antics, shrewdness, and intelligence.  They are very tame, flying in and out of the bungalow at pleasure; when irritated, which is rather a failing with them, they show every sign of resentment.  If one is inclined to be rebellious, not coming to call, the show of a piece of meat at once secures its submission and capture.  Singular how partial they are to raw meat, and more singular to see the expert way in which they catch up the meat with the claws of either leg, and hold it from them while they devour it piecemeal.  I saw the other evening an old bird pounce on a field-mouse, kill it, and then bring and cleverly fix the victim firmly between the two forks of a branch and pull it in pieces.  It consumed but a part of the mouse.”

Mr. W. Theobald makes the following note on this bird’s breeding in the neighbourhood of Pind Dadan Khan and Kaias in the Salt Range:—­’"Lay in May; eggs five to six; shape blunt, ovato-pyriform; size varies from 0.88 to 0.93 of an inch in length, and from 0.68 to 0.81 of an inch in breadth.  Colour white or pale greenish white, slightly ringed and spotted with yellowish grey and neutral tint.  Nest of roots, coarse grass, rags, cotton, &c., lined with fine grass, and placed in forks of trees.”