752 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIX. 



too early for the eggs. Yesterday while riding from the last Camp to this, a pair 

 of Brahminy flew past me, flying low and one left the other and flew to an old 

 poplar quite close and disappeared into a hole. This is the 2nd time I have seen 

 the Brahminy do this. I got off my pony, climbed the old tree myself, and out 

 flew the old bird almost into my face. I looked down the hole but could see 

 nothing ; I lit a match and put it down as far as I could and discovered there 

 were 7 eggs. Unfortunately I could not reach them. I sent to the nearest 

 village and got an axe, and after making a hole in the side of the tree, got out* 

 all 7 eggs. The first blow of the axe disturbed a merlin, which was sitting 

 on its nest in a sort of declivity at the top of the same trunk, which con- 

 tained the hole in which the Brahminy had her nest. The merlin had sat 

 there, unknown to me, all the time I was fooling and trying to get at the 

 Brahminy's eggs. I drew a rough sketch of the old tree on the spot, which 

 will show you the position of the two nests. The merlin's nest contained two 

 red eggs which I took. I think it is a curious fact that these two widely 

 different birds should have had their nests on the same branch of the tree. 

 There is no water within 8 miles of this tree, and that is curious I think. The 

 drake Brahminy kept on flying round the tree making a fiendish noise, but the 

 hen made herself scarce." 



E. M. BETHAM, Lieut.-Col., 



The 10 1st G-renadiers. 

 Mhow, BOth May 1909. 



No. XV.— STRANGE BEHAVIOUR OF CERTAIN BIRDS WHEN IN 

 POSSESSION OF STRONG SMELLING INSECTS, 



During the last few years I have repeatedly noticed that certain birds, not- 

 ably babblers, in confinement, go through extraordinary antics when presented 

 with strong smelling insects, e.g., bugs (Hemiptera), which "when irritated emit a 

 powerfully smelling secretion in self-defence. 



If, for instance, a bug of the above kind be offered to a laughing thrush 

 (I have experimented with Trochalopterum erythrocephalum and nigrimentum ; 

 also Drynnastes ccerulatus) it will seize it in its beak and make repeated efforts 

 to press it against the underside of its tail feathers, near their base. 



In order to do this it is obliged to bend round its head and to bring its tail 

 forward. 



This it does with considerable energy, so much so that I have seen the bird 

 lose its balance and fall over, quite a ludicrous performance. 



After this has been going on for a minute or so, the bird gradually relaxes 

 its efforts and eventually swallows the insect. 



The above described behaviour is not, however, I believe, confined to the 

 laughing thrushes. I am almost certain I observed it also in the case of the 

 Andamanese Tree-pie (Dendrocitta baylei) in the Andamans. 



