328 CAPITONID^. 



goes, are invariably deposited either on the bare wood or upon the 

 chips of wood and wood-dust collected in the hole during the time 

 the birds are boring. 



" The nest-holes vary in height from 6 to 50 or 60 feet, but as 

 a rule they are usually about 10 or 15 feet from the ground, and 

 the eggs are generally about inches from the entrance, sometimes 

 not more than 6 inches. They do not always make a fresh nest- 

 hole, sometimes takiug possession of a hole used the year before, 

 and they usually occupy these holes to roost in the whole year 

 round." 



Mr. A. Gr. Cardew, C.S., tells us that "this bird, which is very 

 common on the Nilgiris, breeds in March and April. It excavates 

 a hole some inches deep in a dead but not decayed tree ; indeed, 

 so far as I have seen, the hole is always made in very hard wood, 

 any rotten part being avoided. The entrance is a clean-cut circular 

 hole. There is no nest, and the three white glossless eggs are laid 

 on the bare wood. They are usually a good deal elongated in 

 shape, and measure from 1-22 to 1*30 by about 0-8. 



" This bird is easily kept in captivity, feeding greedily on plain- 

 tains. They are dangerous if in the same cage with other birds, 

 as their powerful bills can easily break the skull even of a Dove. 

 They are wild and uninteresting and difficult to tame. When the 

 loud crowing call, so familiar to persons acquainted with the 

 Nilgiris, is made, the throat is distended so that the skin over that 

 part appears bare of feathers." 



Captain Horace Terry, referring to the Pulney Hills, says : — 

 " Fairly common at Pittur ; found a new nest at the beginning of 

 May, but no eggs." 



The eggs of this species, sent me from the Nilghiris by Miss 

 Cockburn and Mr. Davison, are dull pure ^^•]lite, only moderately 

 glossy, more or less broad ovals. 



None of the eggs I have seen are of the very elongated shape 

 which so often characterizes the eggs of Xantholmna hcema- 

 cepliala. 



They vary in length from 1*07 to 1*22 inch, and in breadth from 

 0-75 to 0-96 inch ; but they average 1*13 by 0-86 inch. 



Mezobucco cyanotis (Blyth). The Blue-eared Barhet. 

 Megalsema cyauotis {Blyth), Hume, Cat. uo. 108 ter. 



Major C. T. Bingham writes from Tenasserim : — " This pretty 

 little species I have found very common in the Thoungyeen valley ; 

 nor was it rare on the Attaran. I give below a note of finding 

 the eggs and nest, recorded long ago : — 



'■' Banl- Thahyhee cho^inr/, Wimjeo River, 12th February, 1878. 

 Crossing a 'plioonzah,' or deserted ' toungyah' (anr/lice, cultivation 

 clearing), this morning, I heard and saw a small Barbet, wliich by 

 its call I recognized as Meijalanna cyanotis, shouting vigorously 

 from the top of a tall dead pinkado tree. As I approached, for 



