356 
Two is the ordinary number of ege's laid ; indeed there were 
two eggs (in three instances more or less incubated) in every 
one of the seven nests of which I have notes. 
The eggs of this species are generally a very round oval. 
White, with in many instances a very delicate creamy tinge. In 
size and shape, they seem to be scarcely distinguishable from 
those of the allied S. Aluco of Europe. In texture they are 
coarser than those of Striv Indica or any of the Ephialtes or 
Athenes, that I know ; but they are finer than those of Ketupa 
Ceylonensis or Ascalaphia Coromanda. From the eggs of Aseca- 
laphia Bengalensis, it is scarcely possible to separate them ; 
although Bengalensis is a considerably larger bird, its eggs, as 
regards size, shape, and texture, seem almost identical with 
those of the present species. All that I can say, with an ample 
series of both before me, is, that as a body, the eggs of Benga- 
lensis are a mere trifle larger, and have more gloss than those of 
Ocellata. For the size of the bird, the eggs of the present 
species are somewhat large. 
In length, they vary from 1:94 to 271, and in breadth, from 
1-63 to 1°75, but the average of ten eggs measured, was 2°01 
by 1°68. 
I have more than once shot the male sitting on the eggs. 
Mr. W. Blewitt writes, ‘“ I found a nest near Hansie in a hollow 
of a peepul tree about nineteen feet from the ground, on the 
16th of March. The nest hole which was lined with leaves, 
contained two partially incubated eggs.” 
Mr. Brookes says, that on the 3rd of March, 1867, he “ took 
a pair of eggs out of a nest in a mango tree. The nest was in 
the fork of two huge branches about twenty feet from the 
ground. ‘There was a little earth and a few dry mango leaves. 
The eggs were pure white and very round.” 
Mr. Blyth, writing of this species says, that it has “ conspi- 
cuous rose-coloured orbits, though I see that my friend, Dr. 
Jerdon, has described them as ‘orange ;’ this, however, may 
depend on the age, the red distinguishing the young.” I have 
recorded the colours of the soft parts, of more than a dozen spe- 
cimens, in a@// I find this note, “edges of lids reddish.”” The 
fact is, different people see colours very differently, and what is 
more, even if they see them alike, describe them in very different 
terms ; the reader may take his choice, between rose coloured, 
orange and reddish, without going very far wrong. : 
This species is found throughout India, east of the Sutledge, 
and of the Indus below its junction with the former, and west 
of the Ganges. I have seen specimens from near Aboo, 
and from Kattiwar, and again from near Fazilka. It occurs, 
