852 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVI. 



I got no chance of shooting anything till 17th August, when I picked 

 up 3^ couple of pin-tails. The fan-tails made their first appearance (as far 

 as I was concerned) on 15th September. 1 returned to India before the 

 close of the season. 



To sum it all up : — 



I am of the opinion that pin-tails may be expected in Lorkaw from 

 1st August annually. Fan-tails from 1st — 10th September: — about a month 

 later. 



That the pin-tails move — in the majority — southwards with the first 

 moon of October, re-appearing about 1st February. That the fan-tails 

 about Ist February. That the fan-tails don't move much after arrival 

 at Lorkaw. 



That both kinds are on the move homewards from 1st March onwards — 

 most being gone by 20th of the month. A few stay another few weeks. 



Lame birds stay throughout the summer. Painted snipe undoubtedly 

 breed there. 



The geography of the surrounding country makes one think that the 

 ifaunghwe-Lorkaw valley is regarded as the first "Long halt " for Pin-tail 

 who come in probably from N.-E. From the enclosed rough map you may 

 be able to gather that most of the country East and North-east of that line 

 is all hills, and unlikely to prove suitable stopping places for birds en 

 route. 



E. T. KENNY. 



Rangoon. 



No. XIX.— FEEDING HABITS OF THE LITTLE EGRET 

 {HERODIAS GARZETTA). 



I witnessed this morning what appeared to me a rather astonishing 

 performance on the part of a Common White Egret (Paddy bird or Bogla). 

 When I first noticed it, it had caught either a chameleon or some lizard at 

 least a foot long. This creature was struggling furiously in the Egret's 

 bill. It repeatedly succeeding in escaping but was always recaptured 

 after running a few yards. After a bit its struggles became feeble, and I 

 noticed that it was then always caught by the head, whereas at first the 

 bird caught it by any portion of the body it could catch hold of. The 

 Egret now started to try and swallow its head first. The head and front 

 legs went in, but it began to struggle furiously with its hind legs and long 

 tail sticking out. The commotion that went on in the bird's neck was now 

 extraordinary to witness. It looked as if the lizard's head or legs must 

 break out through the neck. Several times a black patch appeared on the 

 neck of the bird which looked like the lizard's head coming through, but it 

 was only that the skin was stretched very tightly and the colour of the 

 lizard or skin showed through the feathers. At last after fearful eftbrts the 

 hind legs also went down. The bird then stood working its neck, in which 

 the bulge could still be seen, up and down for about ten minutes. After 

 that it flew away none the worse. When the bird stood holding the lizard 

 in its bill the latter looked quite as long as the bird itself and 1 would never 

 have believed it could have been swallowed. 



H. R. MEREDITH. 



Khunti Ranchi District: 

 Chota Nagpur, l^th May 1919. 



