J^OTI^S ON THE BIRDS OF AMBALA DJSTUICT, PUNJAB. \ir, 



affinities between tlift Punjab and the United Provinces. About 

 Ambala itself the Purple Honeysucker is a most abundant 

 summer resident, as in the case of the districts of the Punjab 

 proper. It had already left when I arrived and returned about 

 the Ist of March; its arrival was most marked as it became 

 general and abundant in the space of a few days. On the other 

 hand in the submontane area, such as Mubariqpur and Chan- 

 dighar it was not uncommon throughout the winter, and 

 far smaller numbers seemed to winter also about Morinda. 

 Rupar and Bilaspur. 



Beavan in recording this bird from Ambala District describes 

 the winter plumage — the Cinvyiis currvcaria of Sykes which is 

 erroneously stated in the Fauna of British India, Vol. ii, p. 359. 

 to be a mark of age. 



It breeds freely in the foothills between Kalka and Kasauli. 

 its upper limit being roughly about the r>th milestone, lut 

 I did not meet it there in December. 



921. The Thick-billed Flowerpecker — Piprisoma squalidum (Burt.). 



A male of this curious and often overlooked little bird w as 

 shot by me at Mubariqpur on 20th February ; it appeared to be 

 not uncommon in the mango groves of Morinda from the 18th to 

 20th March, and I observed a single bird in the District Board 

 garden at Ambala on 1st April. This last had settled to roost for 

 the night on a twig of a Cirrhus-tree under a sort of pent-house 

 roof formed by two of the large flat seed cases of the tree, which 

 were hanging from another twig. 



969. The Brown-fronted Pied Woodpecker — Dcndrocopvs auriceps (Vig.) 

 A pair were haunting the neighbourhood of the Dak bui- 

 galow at Kasauli when I was there from 6th to 9th 

 March. 



972. The Yellow-fronted Pied Woodpecker — Liopicvs mahrattensix 

 (Lath.). 



This Woodpecker was met with in small numbers and I found 

 two nests with eggs. The first one was obtained on 28th Marcli 

 at Ambala and contained 3 slightly incubated eggs, the second 

 was in a Kikur tree by the road past Eassi City and contained 

 3 slightly incubated eggs on 31st March. 



986, The Golden-backed Wrodptcker. — BraclyjHfiniis avraniius (L.>. 

 Abundant and generally distributed. 



1003. The Common Wryneck — 1 yv.r loKjviUa, Linn. 



Oidy two individuals v ere observed, one on the outf-kirts ct 

 Cantonments on 1st January and the other at Chandighar on 

 J.'^th February. The latter was skulking in the bushes en one 

 of the low hills in such a curious manner that I thought it was 

 going to allow itself to be caught by hand. 



1019. The Crimson-breasted Barbet — Xantholocma hcematocephala 

 (P. L s. Muller). 



Abundant and resident ; although an odd bird might be heard 

 calling a little during the winter, their " tonk-tonk " did not 

 become a familiar sound until after the middle of February. 

 Eggs were found as follows: — 19th March, c/3 fresh and c/2 

 fresh ; 28th March, c/3 moderately incubated. On one occasion 

 1 saw a Barbet excavating its nest-hole in a decayed bough ; it 

 was holding on and ham.mering like a Woodpecker. 



