660 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XV. 



sufficiently elongated and soft, it tosses it up and swallows it at one 

 gulp. The casque is not fully formed till nearly a year after the 

 bird is hatched. 



" Breeds in the holes of large forest trees, at a height of 30 — 50 feet 

 from the ground , returning year after year to the same tree. It seems 

 pretty well ascertained now that the female plasters herself up in the 

 nest when she begins to incubate the eggs, and remains there till the 

 young one is hatched, depending all the time on the male for food. 

 During this time single birds alone are seen, and the nest may with a 

 little difficulty be found by observing where the male returns wdien 

 he has collected a sufficient quantity of food for his mate. I was 

 shewn a nest in February which the birds were preparing, but they 

 subsequently deserted it as a coffee clearing had been made close by, 

 and they seemed disturbed by such noises as the barking of dogs or the 

 shouting of coolies. In the beginning of March I was fortunate enough 

 to obtain an egg ; it was of a very rough texture, and was no doubt 

 originally white, but when I got it the egg was stained quite brown. 

 The size of the egg was 2*5 X 1"79.— T. F. B." 



(165) Anthracoceros coronatus. — The Malabar Pied Horn bill. 

 Blanford, No. 1052 ; Jerdon, No. 141. 



This bird is by no means common, but is locally distributed in forest 

 land at the foot of the hills. The Museum possesses only one specimen 

 shot about nine miles from Trevandrum. 



(166) Lophoceros griseus. — The Malabar Grey Hornbill. 



Blanford, No. 1063 ; Jerdon, No. 145. 



This Hornbill is said by Blanford not to ascend the hills of South- 

 ern India above about 3,000 feet. It is commonest at this elevation, 

 especially on the Cardamom Hills, but I have shot it at over 5,000 feet 

 on the High Range and at 4,000 feet at Chimanji in South Travancore. 



Sub-order Upup,e. 

 Family Upiqndce. 

 (167) Upupa indica. — The Indian Hoopoe. 

 Blanford, No. 1067 ; Jerdon, No. 255. 

 The Hoopoe is commonest in the drier regions of the south in the 

 low country. During the hot weather about March it may be found 

 in the hills even ascending the High Range. 



