MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 495 



No. 1045. — The Black-capped Kingfisher — {Halcyon pileata). — These birds 

 were not uncommon in the Myittha Division, and I saw them on several 

 occasions. On 14th April 1907, I obtained a single fresh egg from a hole about 

 18 inches in length in a sand bank. 



No. 1092. — European Nightjar — (Caprimulgus europasus). — Two eggs, not 

 quite fresh, and the parent bird at Maymyo. 16th May 1907. 



No. 1096. — The Great eared Nightjar — (Lyncornio cerviniceps), — I got four 

 nests of this bird in the Myittha Division. The first egg was received on 15th 

 March 1907, and was brought by a coolie, who said he had found two, but 

 broke the other ; it was hard set. A second single hard set egg was brought 

 me by a coolie on 17th March ; he said there was only one egg and at the time 

 I did not believe him, but on 20th March I got a single hard set egg myself 

 and shot the hen bird ; on dissection, I found that she did not contain any egg- 

 larger than a pea ; so there is not the least doubt that the bird incubates one 

 egg. On 27th March I received a single fresh egg but was not able to shoot 

 the bird. I was also informed that a single fresh egg was found in January, 

 and eaten by the coolies. Major Evans informs me that he once found a nest 

 with three eggs. 



No. 1142. — Burmese Slaty-headed Paroquet — (Palosorius fuischi). — I took a 

 nest, containing 4 eggs in various stages of incubation from a natural hollow in 

 a Xylia dolabriformis (Pyinkado tree), about 40 feet from ground on 10th 

 March 1907, in the Myittha Division, Upper Chindwin. 



J. C. HOPWOOD, i.f.s. 



Kindat, Upper Chindwin, November 1907. 



No. XL— NESTING OF THE INDIAN GREAT REED WARBLER 

 (ACROCEPHALUS STENTOREOS) IN INDIA. 



While on a large jhil in the Bahraich district on August 14th I was much 

 surprised to hear the unmistakeable harsh note of Acrocephalus stentoreus 

 (the Indian Great Reed Warbler) sounding from several directions, and on 

 searching round about wherever the birds were calling, several nests with young 

 and at last, three nests with fresh eggs, were discovered and the birds secured. 

 The nests were all placed rather low down, within three feet of the water, in 

 more or less detached clumps of reed inside very dense reed beds and seemed 

 to be somewhat smaller and made of finer (or less coarse) grasses than those I 

 have seen in Kashmir. The birds too are somewhat smaller, measuring 7*3 in 

 length against 7 - 7 as given in Oates and Blanford, but in other respects such as 

 wing and bill measurements and colouring agree perfectly with their descrip- 

 tion, and the eggs resemble those I have taken numbers of in Kashmir. 



I should be glad to know if this bird has been recorded before as breeding 

 in India, as although abundant in Kashmir in summer and also reported from 

 Sind I am not aware that it has been obtained except as a cold weather 

 visitant or occasional summer straggler in Upper India? 



S. L. WHYMPER. 

 Jeolikote, August 31st, 1907. 



