516 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. AVI. 



as my punt approached I saw an Indian River-Tern (Sterna seena) stoop just 

 like a hawk at the heads of the Sarus, which ducked their heads nearly to the 

 ground each time the Tern stooped in a most ludicrous manner. I of course 

 expected to find some Tern's eggs but did not do so, the only eggs being one 

 half-incubated Red-wattled Plover's ( Lobivanellus go mis) and two practically 

 fresh — Little Ringed Plover (MgialiUs dubia). I searched the shore of the main 

 lawd as well but could not discover any Tern's eggs, so still remain in the dark 

 as to the cause of the vicious attacks on the Sarus. 



On May 15th in the same place I saw flying what I took to be a young Sterna 

 seena so whether the Sarus had destroyed or hurt another one on the previous 

 day I do not know. 



MA.RTIN YOUNG, m.b.o.u., 

 1st York and Lanc. Regt. 



Mhow, C. J., V.HK May, 1905. 



No. XXII.— A SNAKE'S NEST. 

 While searching for Kingfisher's nests to-day I found a big grass nest in a 

 chamber at the end of a short passage bored in a canal bank. This I found 

 to contain a number of snake's eggs. Two hatched out while I was looking 

 at them, but on opening another I found the youngster quite alive, though 

 evidently not ready to make his appearance. Believing that snakes are always 

 welcome I am sending the whole lot off by parcel post to the Museum. 



ARUNDEL BEGBIE, Major. 

 CaWNPORe, liih May, 1905. 



[The snakes arrived safely and some 24 young specimens of the check, red 

 water snake (Tropidonotus jpiscator) were alive in the box.— \ dit< rs.] 



No. XXIII— THE HIMALAYAN NUTCRA( KER (NUCIFRAGA 



HEMISP1LA). 



With reference to General Osborn's " Notts on the Himalayan Nutcracker," 

 on page 628 of Vol. XIV, and Mr Osmaston's comments thereon on page 818 

 of the same Volume may I lie permitted to add mj- observations on the subject. 



Before I had seen General Osborn's remarks to the effect that N. hemispila 

 itself perforated the little round holes one frequently finds in the wild walnut, 

 I had been interested in the matter and especially so, when I on one occasion 

 watched, through my glasses, a Nutcracker busy with a walnut. It picked up 

 the walnut every now and again and put it down, as though choosing a better 

 place and then would give it two or three smart taps. By the way it picked 

 it up, off the ground, I could see that the walnut must already have had a 

 crack or hole in it, as the beak was hardly opened more than half an inch, 

 and after carefully watching it I saw that I was right, as the cracked side 

 turned towards me and I distinctly saw a hole in it. I could not believe that 

 the Nutcracker had made the hole and after it went off, as it did shortly after, 

 I went down and examined the walnut and 2 or 3 others similarly treated. 



