56G JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XII. 



somewhat doubtfully identified four cuckoos shot in January as this 

 species. 



Nothing seems known as to what birds are chosen as foster mothers in the 

 Andamans by the cuckoos which breed there. 



lllri, Chrysococcyx XANTHORiiYCHUs, Horsf. Blanf., Ill, p. 221 ; " Str. 

 Feath.," p. 191. 



The lovely Violet Cuckoo occurs in both groups, but is apparently very rare. 

 I never saw the bird, though I was particularly anxious to obtain it and kept 

 a keen look out for the species. Apparently it breeds in the islands. 



1116. Chrysococcyx maculatus, Gmel. Blanf., Ill, p. 222. 



The same remarks apply to this species. 



1120. EuDYNAMis HONOKATA, Linn. Blanf., Ill, p. 228 ; " Str. Feath.," 

 II, p. 192. 



Common both in the Andamans and Nicobars. It is difficult to guess what 

 nest they lay in in the Nicjbars,wht nee the few imported crows have apparently 

 quite disappeared. The Nicobars, by the way, did not approve of the crows 

 at all, black and ominous the cute old corbie seemed to the superstitious 

 islanders a truly fearsome fowl, an evil spirit whose presence must certainly 

 devastate their villages with fever, if it brought no more terrible disaster, 

 in its train. 



1130. Centropus eurycercus, Hay. Blanf., Ill,, p. 239 ; "Str. Feath. 

 II, p. 196. 



Mr. Hume's party saw a large jungle crow of the rufipcnnls type on Condul 

 in the Nicobars and at Macpherson's Straits. In Mr. Hume's opinion, the 

 birds, which were not obtained, belonged to this species, Blanford says he 

 considers eurycercus to be distinct from sinensis, with which Shelley unites it. 

 It seeins to me possible that this bird will be found to be a not uncommon 

 species in the Great Nicobar, as it is in Sumatra, the former island being still 

 almost untouched by ornithologists. 



1132. Centropus andamanensis, Tytler. Blanf., Ill, p. 242 ; "Str, Feath.," 

 II, p, 194, 



This brown-bodied jungle crow is a common bird throughout the Anda- 

 mans, occurring also on the Cocos. Its habits and voice are exactly the 

 same as those of the Indian bird, though I have heard it when startled 

 utter a curious chuckle unlike any sound made by sinensis. 



The Andaman Coucal is rather partial to frogs and crabs, in search of 

 which it may be seen walking about on the mud of newly ploughed paddy- 

 fields or the ooze of the mangrove swamps. 



Frogs are killed by a few violent pecks on the head, I was once rather 

 amused at seeing one of these birds suddenly drop a frog it had killed and 

 was about to swallow, to pounce on a second which it had caught sight of. 

 Having duly caught, executed and eaten No. 2 it proceeded to swallow No. 1. 

 The frogs are bolted whole. 



