MLSCELLANEOUS NOTES. L>87 



unsettled in his mind on the subject by Mr. F. Finn (Birds of Calcutta. 

 p. 63) who sided with Jerdon's view and finally asks members of the 

 Society for further information. As no one has apparently done so, I may 

 as well give my experiences which will, I think, settle the question. Here 

 in Karachi this species is very abiuidant in winter and from October on- 

 wards I never saw a single bird in metallic dress until January 26th when 

 I saw one (out of dozens) apparently in full plumage, and on the 27th I 

 shot one (and later saw many others) in change moulting body, wings 

 and tail and thus assuming the metallic plumage. 1 have moreover seen 

 specimens of the moulting from the metallic dress to the yellow breasted 

 winter plumage. I have not yet seen a large enough series of winter 

 birds to say for certain, but it is not unlikely that the adult male in 

 winter can be difi'erentiated from the young male by the more glossy 

 wings and tail. 



CLAUD B. TICEHURST, Capt., r.a.m.(\ 



Kabachi, Jul!/ 14^^', 1918. 



No. XI.— NOTE ON THE INDIAN LONG-BILLED VULTURE 



{GYPS IN Die US). 



Since according to Blanford this bird breeds in colonies on precipitous 

 cliffs, the following note may be of interest : — 



On February 4th while out in camp I came across an enormous pipal 

 tree which had five large nests in it, which I presumed to belong to 

 Pseudogyps benf/alensis. However, on closed examination, I noticed Gypn 

 indicus sitting on one of the nests, its thin lead-coloured neck being 

 easily distinguished. On my climbing the tree, the birds sat closelj'. 

 enabling me to discover that no less than three of the nests belonged to 

 G. indicus, the other two being occupied by P. benyalensis. One nest of 

 the former contained a fresh egg, pure white and measuring 3'55x2-75 

 inches. The other four nests had well-grown young ones. Gyps indicus 

 showed much more anxiety to return to their nests than P. benyalenais. 

 and several times came and settled only a few yards from me when I was 

 inspecting the nests, which appeared to differ in no way from those of 

 P. henyulensis . This is the first time I have seen G. indicus in the 

 Lucknow district. In Muttra and Agra districts the bird is quita 

 common and comprises about a quarter of the assembly at a carcase. I 

 did not find it breeding there, although it is certain it must do so. 



U. S. Club, Lucknow, W. H. MATHEWS, i.p. 



mh Mm/ I9I8. 



No. XII.— THE COMMON HAWK-CUCKOO {HIEROCOCCYX 

 VARIUS) IN THE PUNJAB. 



It is stated in the Fauna of British India, Birds, Vol. III., p. 214, that 

 the Coaimon Hawk-Cuckoo or true Brain-Fever Bird Hierococcyx varius 

 (Vahl.) is not found in the Punjab. I have already shewn elsewhere that 

 this statement must be modified as the species is (in some years at any 

 rate) a common summer visitor to the district of Ambala, and in smaller 

 numbers to the neighbouring district of Ludhiana. I have now to record 

 a further extension of its range to Lahore where I heard one calling in a 

 garden in Egerton Road on 21st April, and again in the Lawrence Gardens 

 on April 24th. On both occasions the " brain-fever " call was heard. 



HUGH WHISTLER, f.z.s., 



•Jhang, -lOt/i May 1<»18. Indian Pohce. 



