of certain South-Indian Birds. 323 



37. Palumbus elphixstoxi (Sykes). 



Breeds in March and April in the dense woods of the Neil- 

 gherries^ depositing its single glossy white eg^ on a loosely 

 constructed platform of sticks some eight or ten feet from 

 the ground. Dimensions of an egg I "55 inch by 1"21. 



38. Sypheotides auritus (Latham). 



Breeds in April and May in low scruh-jungle. The eggs 

 are laid under a bush, in a slight hollow ; they are generally 

 two in number, thickly blotched at the larger end with hair- 

 brown, and more sparsely all over with slate-coloured and 

 dark brown dots. One in my cabinet measures I "99 inch 

 in length by 1*3 in breadth. 



39. Sarciophorus bilobus (Gmelin). 



Breeds at the same time and in the same manner as the 

 preceding. The eggs are from two to three in number; 

 blotched and irregularly streaked with dark slate and umber- 

 brown on a light buff ground. They average 1*5 inch in 

 length by 1*01 in breadth. 



40. CEdicnemus crepitans (Temminck). 



I shot a female of this bird in Kurnool in May, and, on dis- 

 secting it, discovered a fuUy developed egg, which I find 

 is different from the eggs of CE. crepitans as found in 

 Europe. I examined a fine series in Mr. Dresser^s collection, 

 and find that the egg in my possession is entirely different in 

 coloration, being of a dirty white with a very few small 

 yellowish-brown blotches. This egg appeared to be perfectly 

 ready for exclusion. It measured 1*8 inch in length by 

 1*33 in breadth. 



41. Gallinula phoenicurus (Forster). 



Breeds in low bushes in October, laying four or five light- 

 brown eggs, speckled Avith numerous small, round, black dots 

 evenly distributed over the whole sui'face. An egg obtained 

 in Mysore measures 2 inches in length by 1*39 in breadth. 



2 a2 



