MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 711 



The Spoonbill [Platalea leucorodia), the Indian Siiaq (Phalacrocorax 

 fuscicollis), the Smaller Egret (Herodias intermedia), and the Black Jbis 

 (Inocotis papillosus).—! had rather a find of these birds. During a recent tour 

 I stopped at Rajewadi on the Mhaswad Tank, about fifty miles due east of 

 Satara. This is an enormous stretch of water, but little did I think that I 

 should obtain water birds' eggs at this time of year— January. I soon noticed 

 a single tree, standing well in the water, laden with nests. On visiting it 

 I found nests of the first three on it : each sort seemed to keep to itself. The 

 Spoonbills all had young, but I obtained eggs of the other two. The Smaller 

 Egret's, four in number, partially incubated, while the Indian Shag's contained 

 four, five and six eggs each. Although I put the birds off their nests, I think 

 the eggs of the last mentioned were very suspicious as they shook in their shells. 

 The nests of all three were very similar, except that the Egret's were smaller. 

 The tree and nests were indescribably filthy, being white with droppings, 

 looking as though they were covered with hoar frost. The nests were alive 

 with vermin, and some had a dead bird or two to add to the accumulation. I am 

 sure they are not possessors of Sanitary Commissioners or Associations. On 

 my climbing the trees, all birds that could fly left it, and there was a general 

 uproar. The tiny young, incapable of moving, remained still ; the rest began 

 scrambling over each other and showing a wonderful amount of agility. I was 

 afraid they would be precipitated into the water : not a bit of it, they hung on 

 as tenaciously as monkeys. I came on several other trees, similarly situated, 

 with many Spoonbills' nests, and I got four clutches containing three eggs each, 

 except one which had only two. These nests, however, were by themselves and 

 not among the general crowd. It is curious why water-birds should breed in 

 colonies ; where trees are scarce, it might be understood, but when there are 

 plenty standing in water, why they should pack together is hard to understand. 

 It must be miserably uncomfortable to have no elbow room. Perhaps they 

 think that their young require licking into shape by each other. This they 

 apparently get, judging by the incessant squabbling and squawking that takes 

 place and the way they tumble over each other. 



I also got three eggs of the Black Ibis. There was a single nest in a tree 

 standing in water, on which the bird was sitting. These eggs were quite bad. 

 How long they had been laid cannot be said or why the bird continued to sit. 

 One would think instinct would tell them that the eggs are " bad uns " : these 

 were even beyond the " election " stage. I consider I did the bird a good 

 turn by taking them, as she would probably have died in her efforts to hatch 

 them off. 



The Painted Stork (Tantalus leucocephalus), — According to Oates, not many 

 nesting places are known of the Painted Stork. I came on one at Dhakor, in 

 Guzerat, some years ago, and have just struck another at Khatpal, about ten 

 miles East of Mhaswad Tank, on the western borders of Sholapur. The 

 colony consists, I should say, of some fifty or sixty couples. The nesting site was 

 at the top of an enormous banyan tree. The nests seem small, but sufficient 



