MISCELLANEOUS NOTES; 843 



No. VI.— VARIETY OF THE COMMON HOUSE CROW. 

 {COUVUS SPLENDENS) AT JHANG, PUNJAB. 



In the Journal of the Society (Vol. XXVI, 290), I described a variety of 

 the Common House Crow and remarked that a second bird somewhat 

 similar was frequenting the same place. This second bird I had not 

 intended to kill but on f5th December 1918 it was shot by a sportsman and 

 brought to me. I accordingly now record its description : — 



Forehead, nasal tufts, anterior half of the sides of the face, chin and 

 throat {i. e., the usual mask) chocolate brown, slightly darker in tint than 

 any other portion of the plumage. Nape, remainder of sides of face and 

 neck, white, merging imperceptibly into creamy white on the breast. 



Remainder of plumage creamy brown, slightly motled in appearance due 

 to the presence of irregularly scattered feathers of a darker tint. 



Iris dark brown ; bill and legs dark chocolate brown. Organs not distinct, 

 but apparently a female. Just completing entire moult. 



HUGH WHISTLER, f.z.s., 



Jang, Punjab. Indian Police. 



[There are in the Society's collection two very similar specimens. — Eds.J 



No. VII.— MATERNAL INSTINCT IN THE PIED BUSH 

 CHAT (^PRATINCOLA C A PRAIA). 



The probability that a bird will desert its nest and eggs if disturbed is 

 often mentioned and is a fact well known. I once found 12 nests of 

 Tickell's Staphidia {Staphidia striata) within a space of 20 yards all 

 deserted and many with addled eggs therein. The opposite is not so 

 often told. A Pied Bush Chat laid her eggs this year in a rusty old kerosine 

 tin lying on the ground behind the line of Railway carriages occupied by 

 visitors to Kalate. The tin was frequently picked up and carried about 

 to show ofl" the nest. The bird was caught by a servant and tied by the 

 leg to his mistress' carriage and she nursed and fondled it. When let go 

 the bird returned to its nest. The tin was brought to show me some days 

 later^ the bird flying off the nest at the time. I took a Cuckoo's (Cvculus 

 canorus) egg out of the nest. In spite of these frequent attentions 

 the bird still sat. Two days after I first saw it there were two more 

 Cuckoo's eggs in the nest. The small bird has had her reward. She has 

 hatched her brood and been spared the cuckoos. As an instance of strong 

 maternal instinct this may deserve to be recorded. 



S. M. ROBINSON. 



Rangoon, \st May 1919. 



No. Vm.— NESTING HABITS OF THE BROWN ROCKCHAT 

 {CERCOMELA FUSCA). 



I was much interested in Mr. L. S. White's letter in the last issue of 

 the Journal for May 1919, regarding the nesting habits of this bird. 

 During four years residence in the United Provinces my experience exactly 

 coincides with his. The Brown Rockchat is one of the most familiar 

 birds of the bungalow and is doubtless often mistaken for the Brown backed 

 Indian Robin, Thamnohia camhaiensis. A favourite nesting site is the ledge 



