40G CUCUMD7E. 



taken three eggs belonging to the Water-hen. In every other 

 instance the nest was a domed one, in ckimps of grass out in the 

 water, and made about 3 feet over water-level, or about 2 feet 

 over the usual high-water level." 



The eggs sent me by Mr. Doig are very similar to those of C. 

 rufijennis, but, as might be expected, ruu larger. Some are very 

 spherical, others rather elongated cylindrical ovals, but all are 

 extremely blunt at both ends ; they are pure w hite, with a certain 

 amount of gloss in places, dependent on a thin, slightly yellowish 

 glaze, which, when first laid, covers the whole egg, but which soon 

 and easily \vears off and scratches away, leaviug a snow-\vhite 

 rather chalky shell below. 



The eggs" vary from 1-3 to 1-53 in length by 1-08 to 1-23 in 

 breadth. 



Centrococcyx hengalensis (Gm.). TJie Lesser Comical. 



Centropus viridis {Scoj}.), Jerd. B. Ind. i, p. 350. 



Oentropus bei:galeusis {Gm.), Hume, Bough Draff N. S^- E. no. 218. 



Colonel Tytler, in his ' Avifauna of Dacca,' tells us that he 

 " obtained tlie nest and egg of this bird (the Lesser Coucal) during 

 the month of June ; the eggs are pure vs^hite and very rouud in 

 formation. The nest, which was composed of straw and grass, 

 resembled a large ball supported on sticks, with a hole in the side 

 for the bird to enter ; the nest was well concealed, and was with 

 great difficulty discovered." 



Dr. Jerdon says :■ — " I have had the opportunity of seeing this 

 species at Dacca, where it is certainly very abundant. I also ob- 

 tained two nests, the one with two, the other with four white eggs. 

 The nests were in lioth instances formed by the living grasses 

 rudely bent down among the thorny twigs of a bush to form a 

 seat for the eggs, and then continued upwards, forming a dome 

 over the nest." 



Captain E. E. Shopland, I.M., writes : — " Took a nest contain- 

 ing three eggs on 24th July, in long coarse grass, of the leaves of 

 which it was composed, the ends of the grass being turned down 

 and then up all round ; the nest was 12 inches long and 8 broad. 

 There was only one hole, but as I came suddenly on the bird, 

 which was in the nest with its tail out of the hole, it made a clean 

 dive through the other side, and had I been sharp enough I might 

 have caught the bird in my hands, as it took a few seconds to get 

 clear to the other side. The eggs are of the same shape as those of 

 the Connnon Coucal, but mucli smaller and rathei- glossy. This 

 nest was taken at Calcutta within 200 yards of Bishojr's College, 

 between it and the Botanical Gardens." 



Trom Sikhim Mr. Gammie wrote in 1875 : — " I have cmly found 

 the nest of this Coucal up to 3500 feet, but have occasionally secMi 

 it during the breeding-season as high as 5000 feet, so that it pro- 



