GECITOJS. 299 



quently at Pittiir. I cut out a hole at the latter place the 

 beginning of Maj-, but there were no eggs." 



Three specimens of eggs of this species, which I owe to Miss 

 Cockburn of Kotagherry, are, as might be expected, broad ovals, 

 somewhat compressed towards one end, a pure china-white in 

 colour and very glossy. One is as nearly as possible like a large 

 egg of the Grreat Spotted Woodpecker (P. major) of Europe. 



Other specimens differ in shape, being slightly elongated and 

 pyriform ovals. 



In length they varv from 1-02 to !•] inch, and in breadth from 

 0'74 to 0-85 inch. 



Gecinus occipitalis (Tig.). The Blf(cl--tHij>ed Green 

 Woodpecl-er. 



Gecinus occipitalis ( Vig.), Jerd. B. hid. i, p. 287 ; Hume, Rovqh 

 Draft N. ^- E. no. 172. 



The Black-naped Green 'Woodpecker breeds throughout the lower 

 ranges of the Himalayas from Bhotan to Afghanistan at elevations 

 of from 5000 to nearly SOOO feet, laying from the middle of April 

 to the middle of June four, five, and even six eggs. As regards 

 size and shape of hole, and choice of trees, all that has already 

 been said of G. squamatus applies equally well to this species ; but 

 I agree with Colonel C. Marshall that their nest-holes are 

 commonly placed much lower than those of the latter species, 

 although I found one nest, in a huge fir-tree on Xagteeba (behind 

 Landour), fidly 30 feet from the ground. 



Colonel C. Marshall says (he writes from Murree) : — "This 

 species breeds very low down in trees, the hole in which the nest 

 was that we found on the 28th of May being only 3 feet from the 

 ground ; it contained five fresh glossy-white eggs, long and pointed 

 at the thinner end. They are 1-25 inch in length and 0-85 in 

 breadth. Elevation 7000 feet." 



I have always known the eggs of this bird to be laid on the 

 bare wood in the inside of a pretty deep hollow of some more or 

 less decayed tree; but on the 17th June, in the neighboui'hood of 

 Darjeeling, Mr. J. Grammie took five hard-set eggs of this species 

 out of a large regularly-formed nest placed at the bottom of a 

 hollow in a tree ; the nest being for all the world like that of some 

 Garridcuv, composed chieHy of coarse moss, roots, intermingled 

 with a little moss and portions of a few broad dry flag-leaves. 

 This was below Eungbee near Darjeeling, at a height of about 

 5000 feet. It was simply impossible, in my opinion, that the 

 Woodpecker should have had anything to do with the making of 

 the nest, but it is very remarkable, I think, that it should even 

 have accepted some other bird's nest as the i-eceptacle for its eggs. 

 The parent bird was captured on the eggs, so that there can be no 

 mistake about the fact. 



Mr. Oates writes from Pegu : — " This bird lays four eggs as a 

 rule, but in one instance I found only three in one nest. 



