334 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1891. 



more than one), as soon as the latter was half- grown. The tree was 

 a very high one, situated in a " kan " or wood of evergreen jungle. 

 It was branchless for about 40 feet, where there was the stump of a 

 small dead branch ; 4 or 5 feet further up a large branch had been 

 torn away and left a sort of crevice, and in this the nest was placed. 

 To get at it was no easy task ; a bamboo ladder some 10 feet long 

 was, however, placed against the trunk, one of great circumference, 

 and was tied to it by creepers every 3 or 4 feet ; a couple of men 

 then climbed to nearly the top of this, and fastened a second ladder 

 in the same way, and after some 4 hours work, they reached the 

 small branch and stood on its stump, having tied a rope (creeper) 

 round the tree to enable them to hold on. On a man putting his 

 hand to the hole, a regular growl was heard, and the hen struck at 

 his hand, nearly knocking him off the tree. A long knife was 

 accordingly sent up, and, after a struggle, the poor bird was .stabbed 

 and pulled out. The nest contained one fresh egg (the only one 

 that would have been laid). The cock called occasionally, but 

 I never saw him ; the natives were very much afraid of him, and 

 refused to attempt the nest, unless I stood below with a gun to shoot 

 him if he attacked them. 



145.— THE JUNGLE GREY HORNBILL. 



Tockus griseus, Lath. 

 This is the commonest Hornbill in Kanara, and is generally 

 distributed, though Ooyceros birostris almost entirely replaces it in 

 the east of Sirsi. Its breeding habits are similar to those of Birostris, 

 and I obtained a number of nests in February and the beginning of 

 March. These contained each 2 or 3 eggs ; they vary in size, 

 and are, I consider, undistinguishable from those of Birostris. The 

 latter, however, frequently lays as many as 5 eggs, and they are, as 

 a rule, a month later. 



151.— THE BLUE-WINGED PAROQUET. 



Paleomis columboides, Vigors. 



This is the common parrot of the Ghats, and the jungles imme- 

 diately below them. I have been, however, very unlucky in finding 

 its nests, and the only one I got containing eggs, was taken on 



