222 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XII. 



(p, ?53, Vol. I, " Nests and Eggs''). I shot a bird but for some time was unable 

 to identify it ; it looked so much like .4. caz<c^o/a. I spent some considerable 

 time in wauching this bird, but was unable to discover its nest, at which I was 

 much disappointed. I came across the same bird on the 29th August in a large 

 grass bir and sat down to watch it as I was convinced it was breeding. This 

 habit of soaring- seemed confined to the male bird. The female seems 

 content to lurk among bushes and high grass. After watching a short time 

 I was more than pleased to observe one of these birds flying towards me with 

 a piece of broad dry grass in her beak, I watched where she settled, and on 

 her departure went to the spot. No nest could I see. I concealed myself in as 

 close proximity as I could and waited. Back she came with more material. 

 On her flying away, I again went to the spot I thought she had risen from 

 but could see nothing. I watched her do this several times. Finally I went 

 away as I could see nothing. I thought it very strange. However, I marked 

 the spot very carefully, and determined to revisit it later. I was able to do 

 this on the 7th September. I walked straight up to the spot, and thought I 

 was doomed to disappointtaent. Just as I had given up hope, she fluttered up 

 from under my very feet. I looked down, and there was the nest containing 

 five beautifully fresh eggs. It was on the exact spot I had seen the bird rise 

 from, so that she could only just have commenced her nest when I first saw 

 her, which accounts for my not being able to gee anything on that occa- 

 sion. The nest was almost on the ground and was rough and untidy, nearly 

 tumbling to bits when I took it. The outside consisted of broad strips of 

 grass, and it was lined with fine grass, in addition to which it was slightly 

 domed. The grass in which it was situated was from 2 to 3 feet high. 



Gates in " Hume's Nests and Eggs " has notes to the effect that the Bronze- 

 winged Jacana {^letopidius indicus) lays more than four eggs, though it would 

 appear that this only occurs outside the Bombay Presidency, I took many 

 nests last year with my own hands ; in no case did any nest contain more than 

 four incubated eggs. This would appear to be the experience of others in 

 this presidency. It would be interesting to know whether this bird really lays 

 more than four eggs in other localities. 



The Cattle EauET (^Bubulcus coromandus). — Last year I found many of 

 this species breeding without assuming the summer plumage, that is, minus 

 the buff feathers, I saw several birds on their nests. Captain Cox also 

 noticed this, I wonder if any other ornithologists have noticed it. 



The Lesser Flamingo (^Phcenicopterus minor). — In the early part of Decem- 

 ber my shikari brought in information that some friends of his had dis- 

 covered a nest some 20 miles away from Baroda, Unfortunately I was unable 

 to go out myself, as I was just then ordered to Bombay on plague duty. 

 The nest was described to Captain Cox, who kindly looked after my interest 

 during my absence, as follows .— " Found at Badalpur on the north bank of 

 the Mahi, at its mouth. No nest ; eggs deposited on a mound or small island 



