MISCELLA NEO US NO TES. 577 



No. IX,— OCCURRENCE OF THE NEPAUL KALIJ PHEASANT 



IN KASHMIR. 



I have much pleasure in reporting the appearance of the Nepaul Kalij 

 (GenncKus leucomelanus) in Kashmir. In the '"Fauna of British India," Birds.Vol. 

 IV, page 91,ihe distribution of this species is given as from the "Western limits 

 of Nepaul to the Arun River. I found and shot one cock in the Kashmir State 

 on the banks of the Chenab River, elevation about 3,0C0 feet. Unfortunately 

 the skin was damaged by my fox-terrier, but I had no difficulty in identifying 

 it. Its total length was just below 23 inches, wing 8 inches, tarsus 2'5". The 

 crest was shorter than the ordinary Kalij (G. albicrisiatus), being only 3*4", 

 whereas the crest of the common Kalij is often as much as 4'2". It was shot 

 on the 18th of January last and was in company with a covey of the common 

 Kalij. 



C. H. DONALD. 



Dhakamsala, May, 1899. 



No. X.— ABNORMAL NUMBER OF EGGS IN A NEST OF THE 

 BENGAL GREEN PIGEON (C. PII.ENICOPTERUS, LATH.). 



Two is of course the usual complement of tggs of this species, but I find on 

 looking up a list of nests taken in 1896 that on the 7th of May I got a neat 

 containing //tree fresh eggs. The nest was situated in t be fork of a young 

 jack tree (^4, integrifoUa), and the eggs were taken in my i^resenee. I could not 

 have been mistaken as to the owner of the eggs, for the bird sat very close 

 allowing the boy to reach the nest before it flew off. This was the only nest 

 on that tree ; had there been others I should have noticeJ them as the tree 

 was quite a small one. The tail of the green pigeon was noticeable from 

 below, projecting over the side of the nest. To-day I took another nest 

 containing a single incubated egg. 



C. M. INGLIS. 



Narhar, Madhubani, Tirhut, \^th May, 1899. 



No. XI.— NOTE ON THE HIMALAYAN VIPER {ANCISTRODON 

 EIMALAYANUS). 



The interesting article by Capt. Wall, I.M.S,, on the above snake publish- 

 ed on page 411 of this Volume induces me to mention a peculiarity that may 

 or may not be recorded elsewhere, viz., the power of flattening its whole body 

 as the cobra flattens its hood. The habit is by no means universal, probably 

 for the reason that vipers are generally killed first and tried afterwards, and 

 the killing takes place in circumstances that do not lead to the display of this 

 accomplishment. My last but one victim of this species was the first that I 

 particularly noted as showing anything special in this line. He was coiled up 

 in a hollow under the curving bole of a tree, and seemed quite happy. Jt 

 seemed a pity to disturb so pretty and little dangerous a creature, but venom 



