EUDTNAMIS. 395 



vary, however, in size and shape, the longest measuring 1-4 by 

 0-9 inch, the smallest M by 0-9 inch. Five generally, and, perhaps, 

 sometimes six, is the number of eggs laid by this bird." 



I can only say that three Cocl's and four' Crow's eggs out of one 

 nest was a very remarkable find. 



Dr. tScully remarks of the Coel in Xepal :— " The Indian Coel 

 is a seasonal visitor to the valley, arriving about the end of March 

 or begiijiiing of April, and departing in September. It frequents 

 the w oods of the central part of the valley, gardens, groves, and 

 trees, near houses and villages ; in April, May, and June its well- 

 known cry may be constantly heard. The eggs are laid in tiie 

 nest of the common Cvow {C/sijlendens), as in the plains of India." 



Colonel Butler remarks :—" The Indian Coel breeds in the 

 neighbourhood of Deesa towards the end of the hot w eather, com- 

 mencing about the first week in June. 1 took eggs this year upon 

 the follow ing dates (1870): — 



" June 7th. 1 fresh egg iu nest of C. splendens with 3 Crow's eggs. 

 „ 14th. 2 fresh eggs „ „ 3 



" l''th- 1 i'resh egg „ „ 4 



" ^l«t. 1 „ „ „ 3 



=' 21st. 1 „ „ „ 4 



" -1«^- 1 ,> „ „ 3 



„ 2/th. 2 addled eggs „ „ 3youngCrows. 



„ 27th. 1 fresh egg „ „ 5 Crow's eggs. 



July 1st. 2 fresh eggs „ „ 1 



" 3rd. 3 „ „ „ ,3 



"On the 8th July I saw two Crows pursuing a male Coel, and 

 after a long chase the Coel dashed into a low bush, from whicli 

 the Crow s drove it into a thick euphorbia hedge ; they then attacked 

 it vigorously, and the bird w as so frightened that' I dismounted 

 from my horse aiul caught it in my hand. The follow ing day a 

 beautiful female specimen was mobbed to death by Crows in the 

 com])ound next to mine, and brought to me by the men who saw 

 it killed. AVlien the hen bird lays she often turns some of the 

 Crow "s eggs out of the nest, as I have several times examined Crow s' 

 nests and found three or four eggs one day, and on examining 

 them a day or two later ha\'e found some of the Cro\v"s ego-s miss- 

 ing and ColTs eggs in their place." 



And again : — " In Belgaum Coels lay much earlier than in 

 Guzerat. The first egg I got this year w as on the 13th April, w hen 

 two were brought tome quite fresh. On the 10th I got two more 

 fresh eggs, on the 18th two more, and on the 27th another, also a 

 young bird ready to fly ; the egg of this latter must have been laid 

 about tlu^ middle of March. Another fresh egg on the 28th April, 

 and in the same nest two more eggs on the 1st May, upon which date 

 1 also took two more fresh eggs, one being laid in a nest by itself, 

 evidently before the Crow had commenced to lay, as the nest was 

 empty the day before. On the oth May I took 9 more fresh 

 eggs, and again came across a nest in which the Coel had laid before 



