MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 223 



in brackish water. Another clutch of six existed, but they were taken by 

 muggurs. The bird is described as a large white bird with some feathers of a 

 darker colour on the wings. Said to be very wary, and to leave the nest with 

 a cry like a goose when it sees anybody a mile off.'''' This nest contained four 

 fresh eggs of the size and shape of the Lesser Flamingo, but smooth and 

 firm, not chalky like a Flamingo's, I have shown them to Mr. Gates at the 

 Natural History Museum, South Kensington, who states they may be those of 

 P. minor, though, of course, without the bird it cannot be authenticated. 

 I have asked Captain Cox to keep a look-out next year in the same place 

 in case the birds return again. It would be interesting to establish the breed- 

 ing of this bird in India. 



I came on the nest of the White-throated Munia {Uroloncha malaharica) 

 on the rifle range one day. The birds were perched just outside. I put my 

 index finger in to see what eggs there might be, when I received a peck. I 

 withdrew my finger, and on looking in I saw the head of a snake ! I imme- 

 diately inserted a cane, when out became — a long green beast about 3 feet in 

 length. I was unable to slay him, as he escaped in long grass. In future I 

 shall be careful not to put my finger in a nest till I am sure it has no 

 harmful tenant. 



The Rufous Fantail-'Waebler (Cisticola cursltans). — Although this bird 

 is extensivelj' common round Baroda, I only found one nest containing eggs. 

 Strangely enough it contained six, one of which was perceptibly smaller than 

 the rest. I mention this as in Hume's " Nests and Eggs, "" five is given as the 

 corcplement, 



R. M,BETHAM, Capt,, 



8th Bombay Infantry. 

 Baroda, June, 1898. 



No. XVI.— NOTES ON SPORT IN OUDH. 



It is seldom one has the opportunity of observing the behaviour of wild 

 animals in any special circumstances, and an account of the meeting of a bear 

 with tigers may be worthy of record. We were sitting one evening in a 

 maclian overlooking a wide grassy plain, through which a narrow forest road 

 had been cut, when at sunset a large bear came galloping clumsily through the 

 grass uttering loud grunts after the manner of his kind. On reaching the 

 road, which passed directly under our tree, he stood up to reconnoitre, and 

 almost immediately a tiger appeared on the road some 50 yards lower down. 

 The tiger was carefully stalking the bear, stopping when the latter stopped, 

 and slinking along on his belly when the bear proceeded, so that when the pair 

 reached our tree they were not 10 feet apart. Meanwhile two other tigers 

 came out of the grass and lay on the road, watching events in a lazy fashion. 

 Apparently the bear was unaware of the number of his enemies, but he left 

 tjie road and secreted Jiimself in a dense patch of dry grass. Thither the 



