314 piCTD.f;. 



Hemicercus canente (Less.). The Burmese Heart-spotted 



Woodpecker. 

 Hemicercus canente (Less.), Hume, Cat. no. IGo bis. 



Mr. J, Inglis writes from Cachar : — " This Woodpecker is rather 

 rare. I have shot some six specimens at diifereut times of the 

 year. On the 18th March, 1870, I found a uesfc of it containing 

 two young birds. The nest was in the trunk of a solitary tree in 

 the Tea-Garden, about 9 feet from the ground. I caught the 

 female as she came out of the hole. After releasing her she flew 

 straight off to the jungle, but returned to feed the young quite 

 boldly within half an hour." 



Major C. T. Bingham sends me the following note from Tenas- 

 serim : — " Not very plentiful in the Thoungyeen jungles, but I 

 have seen this bird from the head-waters of the stream nearly to 

 its mouth. 



"On the 11th March, 1880, I cut out a nest-hole of the above 

 species out of the dead and decaying trunk of a large teak-tree, at 

 a height of about 12 feet from the ground, on the bank of the 

 Meplay choung. I had \Aatched the bird for two days previously 

 going in and out. 



" The entrance to the nest was a little more than an inch in 

 diameter, the tunnel, passing rather obliquely do\\nwards for about 

 18 inches, ended in a large hollow, the bottom of which was 

 strewed with broken bits of decayed wood, on which reposed t\^o 

 dull white bluutish eggs. These measure respectively 0'87 by 

 0-65 hich, and 0-90 by 0-70 inch. I managed to catch the female 

 on the nest." 



Mr. W. Davison was, I believe, the first to find the nest of this 

 Woodpecker. He says : — "On the 16th December,1873, while on my 

 road up to Pahpoon (Salween District, Tenasserim Provinces), and 

 about 100 miles north of Moulmein, 1 found a nest of this small 

 Woodpecker. The hole was small, not round, as is usually tlie 

 case with Woodpeckers' nests, but somewhat oval, the major axis 

 being perpendicular and about 1 or 1-25 niches. It va as placed in 

 a small limb (about 6 inches in diameter and about 40 feet from 

 the ground) of a huge dry tree standing in the middle of a Karen 

 clearing. 



" The nest contained, as I afterwards found, one egg which was 

 slightly incubated. 



" I drove the bird from the nest twice, and as she was about to 

 enter it a third time shot her. 



" As I was unable to climb the tree, or to send any one to do it 

 at the moment, and being rather pressed for time, I left a Karen 

 with instructions to cut the branch carefully and bring it to me ; 

 but he, instead of doing so, cut open the hole and brought me only 

 the egg. He declared that there was nothing in the hole in the 

 shape of a nest beyond the few dry chippings of wood usually 

 found in such cases." 



