MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 727 



No. XXIX.— OCCURRENCE OF THE WHITE-THROATED 

 ROCK-THRUSH, PETROPHILA (MONT1COLA) GULARIS, IN 



BURMA. 



Among some birds' skins which I took home for the British Museum at South 

 Kensington was one which was identified by the authorities there as Petroplnla 

 gularis. I shot the bird in Popa during April 1903 and as this species has 

 hitherto not been included in the Fauna of British India, its occurrence is worth 

 recording. 



K. C. MACDONALD, 



D. S„ Police. 

 Pakokku, Upper Burma, May, 1904. 



No. XXX— THE INDIAN EDIBLE-NEST SWIFTLET (COLLOCALIA 

 FUCIPHAGA) IN THE PULNEY HILLS. 



I was rowing about on the lake at Kodaikanal, Pulney Hills, a few days 

 ago, just before a heavy storm, and could not help noticing a large number of 

 Swifts skimming over the surface and plunging into the water, after some 

 insect, frequently from a height of 10 or 15 feet. There must have been many 

 hundreds and they seemed all to belong to the same species (Collocalia 

 fuciphaga). Their speed was too great to allow me to see clearly whether they 

 actually plunged below the surface. I think not, but the violence with which 

 they struck the water was surprising and caused it to splash up 18in. or 2ft. 

 While I was wondering if by any chance one ever fell in and was unable to rise 

 again, I saw one dash in, as if in answer to my thoughts, and after several 

 attempts to get out it lay there flapping about helplessly. I rowed up to it as 

 quickly as I could and reached it just as it was apparently dying. However 

 I fished it out of the water which was very cold, and after thoroughly drying 

 its plumage and warming it, which occupied me for about an hour, 1 opened 

 my hands and away it flew, apparently little the worse for its unpleasant 

 experience. I have dozens of times watched these birds hawking insects over 

 water, but, though one would think such an accident must happen frequently, 

 I have never before actually seen it occur. 



This Swift, I may add, (which builds the common Indian edible nest) breeds 

 regularly on the Pulneys, one of its favourite haunts being the caves and sides 

 of the famous Pillar Rocks. 



R. FOULKES. 



Vizianagkam, 11th May, 1904. 



No. XXXI.- THE BOLDNESS OF PANTHERS. 



A short time ago I was camping at the village of B. J. near M., in Central 

 India, when khabar was brought to me of two panthers which had killed and 

 eaten a young buffalo belonging to another village about three miles away ; so 

 I determined to try and shoot one of them at least. I at once bought two goats 

 and tied them up and sat over one in a machhaan ; they were both placed in 

 nalas not far from the village, but nothing came near my goat the whole night 



