MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 749 



answer in the affirmative Mr. Betham's question : — " Has any one ever come 



across vultures feeding on a dead wild animal ?" The feast was spread for 



the vultures, but they had not been able to begin when I arrived on the 



scene. 



R. A. WILSON. I.C.S. 

 Mandla, 16th July 1909. 



No. IX.— THE INDIAN THKEE-TOED KINGFISHER {CEYX 

 TRIDACTYLA) AT MATHERAN. 



While walking down from Matheran with Mr. M. R. Jardine on July 7th, 

 we put up a Three-toed Kingfisher, {Ceyx tridactyla) from a small stream by the 

 road-side, about half-way down. This beautiful little Kingfisher appears to be 

 of very local distribution in the Indian Peninsula and is confined to the west 

 coast. Major Lloyd gives it in his Konkan List and Colonel Butler has record- 

 ed this species from below the Reversing Station at Khandalla and near 

 Lanowli. The Rev. Dreckmann, S. J., tell? me that he also met with this 

 Kingfisher below the Khandalla Reversing Station about 1 879. 



N. B. KINNEAR. 

 Bombay. October 1909. 



No. X,— YOUNG VULTURE IN THE SEA. 



On Saturday May 8th, while sailing from Apollo Bunder to Hog Island, 

 I noticed a bird in the water between Butcher Island and Pir Paon on 

 the Trombay shore, probably two miles from the nearest point on the main land 

 and one mile from Butcher Island. It was then about 5 p. m,, and the tide 

 had been ebbing for two hours. On getting closer, I found the bird was a 

 vulture, apparently a young bird, but full grown or nearly so. Its wings were 

 under water and only the neck above water, and the bird seemed quite in- 

 capable of rising or using its wings. Next day a fresh wind blew all the fore- 

 noon and gradually increased in force, and by 4 P. M. the water was some- 

 what rough. I was, therefore, surprised when passing close to the N. W. of 

 Elephanta to see what was presumably the same bird flapping along still in the 

 water and unable to raise itself completely, but managing to struggle slowly 

 towards the shore of Elephanta by splashing its wings. I was unable to see 

 what happened eventually, but as the bird was then only 100 yards or so from 

 shore and was being helped by the tide, it presumably managed to get 

 safely to land. 



C. A. WORDSWORTH. 



Bombay, lOth May 1909. 



No. XI —COMMON SNIPE {GALLINAGO C(KLESTlb) IN 

 TRAVANCORE IN APRIL. 



On the 2l8t April I shot three couple of snipe round a backwater at Quilon. 

 I am interested to know if it is common for a few snipe to remain all through 



