330 CAPITONID^, 



be able to find out branches that are decayed internally, although 

 externally to the human eye exhibiting no signs of this, and into 

 such, througli tlie harder external shell of the branch, they cut a 

 perfectly circular hole with the edges neatly bevelled oif inside and 

 out. The eggs arc; at the bottom of tlie cavity into which they 

 have thus bored (and whicii they smoothen a good deal interiorly), 

 often a couple of feet below the dooi; and laid merely on the chips 

 produced in the course of the work. 



The normal number of the eggs is four, hut I have not unfre- 

 quently found only three hard-set ones or newly-fledged young 

 birds. 



The hole varies in length from 1 to 4 or 5 feet, and the diameter 

 of the chamber, M^hen, as sometimes happens, this is cut enlirely by 

 themselves in sound though soft wood, scarcely exceeds 4 inches. 

 The birds often use the same hole year after year, but generally 

 lengthen it each season. Colonel Gr. 1\ L. Marshall, writing from 

 Saharunpoor, says that " these birds breed in the beginning of 

 March, and lay generally three clear white cylindrical eggs in a 

 hole in a tree, which it usually cuts out for itself in a bukain-tree 

 or some other soft wood. I saw one nest in a sound branch of a 

 peach-tree ; the girth of the branch was only 13 inches, and the 

 whole heart of it \^as cut out to a depth of 1(5 inches ; at the bot- 

 tom of the hole were the eggs. The parent bird u ould not come 

 out, even though I shook the branch violently, and it picked 

 viciously at anything put to (he mouth of the hole, remaining just 

 inside the entrance."' 



The late Captain Beavan tells us that this species " breeds in 

 Maunbhoom at the beginning of April. The eggs are generally 

 three in number, white, and much elongated. Length 1 inch, 

 greatest breadth 0*62 inch. 



"A bough was brought to me which it had excavated and formed 

 into a nest ; length of the hole from aperture to bottom was 

 7 inches, and its diameter about 3. There was no nest at the bot- 

 tom, the eggs being laid on the wood, which was hollowed out in 

 ati oval shape. It seems always to select the underside of a bough 

 to commence operation on." 



Mr. F. R. 131e\vitt remarks (writing from the Central Pro- 

 vinces) : — " With this species the period of nidification is from 

 about the middle of January to end of March or early part of 

 April. The most suitable hollow in any description of tree is 

 selected for the nest-hole. If it has a preference at all, it is cer- 

 tainly for the neem-tree, in the decayed and hollow branches of 

 which I have disco\ered the greater number of nests. In several 

 instances I noticed that the parent birds, for more secure and ready 

 ingress and egress to the nest, had picked small circular holes 

 through the bark and wood of the branch, selecting always its 

 underpart for the new entrances. The eggs are invariably deposited 

 on the bare wood, and as on one occasion I found in a nest, in the 

 hollow branch of a large peepul-tree, four very young birds, I 

 believe four to be the maximum number of the ec'gs. I was once 



