396 cucuLiD^. 



the Crow. On the 9th May I took 10 more fresh eggs, five of 

 which were laid in a nest containing a single Crow's egg, from which 

 I had taken two Coel's eggs on the 5th inst. ; and being of three dis- 

 tinct types, in all probability they were laid by two or three differ- 

 ent bir-ds. This is the largest number of Cool's eggs I have ever 

 seen in one nest. Three are not an unusual mnnber to find in a 

 nest, and two occur constantly. On the 12tli May I took 3 more 

 fresh eggs, and on tlie 1.5th ]\Iay 4 more, two t)f tlie latter being in 

 a nest by Ihemsclres that was empty when 1 visited it on the 

 12lh inst. All of tlie above eggs wen; taken out of nests of C. 

 splendens, and in no one instance did \ find an egg in the nest 

 of C. maerorJij/iu-laift, although the Large Crow s" nests Mere more 

 common in that part of cam]) where the Coels frequented than 

 t he other species." 



Colonel W. V. Legge, wriling from Ceylon, says: — ''The eggs 

 of this species have been identified for the first time in this 

 island, during the present year. In May three batches were 

 found near Bolgodde, in the Western ProA'ince, all in nests 

 of C. cuhniiiatiis. In one nest there were 4 Crow's and 4 Coel's 

 eggs ; in another 5 Crow's and 3 Coel's ; and in the third 2 Crow's 

 and 4 Coel's. The parasite eggs varied in character considerably, 

 and two nests contained two types. I have long known the 

 Coel to be resident in Ceylon, though a want of knowledge of 

 the range of birds here has induecHl some to consid(n* it migra- 

 tory.-' 



Mr. A. Gr. Cardew, C.8., records the follow ing dates on which 

 he found eggs of the Coel in Madras : — 



" June 21st. 2 eggs from nest of Corvus spleadens M'hich 

 contained no Crow's eggs, fresh. 



" June 23rd. 1 egg from nest of C. splendens which contained 

 4 Crow's eggs, slightly incubated. 



" June 24th. 2 eggs from nest of C. splendens which contained 



1 Crow's egg, fresh. 



" .June 25th. 2 eggs from nest of C. splendens Mhich contained 



2 CVow's eggs, all incubated." 



The eggs of the Coel are much about the size of a common 

 J51ackbird's egg, but more compressed towards the small end, and 

 I have seen what I Mas informed w as a variety of the Ring- 

 Ouzel's egg by no means unlike a specimen I possess of the Coel's 

 egg. The textui'e of the egg-shells is very compact and fine, but 

 tliey are entirely devoid of gloss. There is some faint general re- 

 semljlance between their ground-colour and that of the eggs of 

 Corvns spdeiidens, in whose nest they are in Upper India almost 

 e.\clusi\-ely deposited, but I never saw a single egg of this Crow that 

 could for one instant be mistaken for that of the Coel. The 

 ground-colour vai'ies much : pale sea-green, pale dingy green, dull 

 olive-green, pale olive-brown, and dingy stone-colour, are all 

 met with. The markings, specks, spots, streaks, aiul clouds, the 

 ])redominant chai-aeter being streaky, vary alike in extent and in 

 shade and intensity of colour. The markings are almost invariably 

 most numerous towards the large end, where they often form an 



