88 PSITTACIDJE. 



they are conspicuous by their absence in the plains. In Berar, 

 about the middle of June 1870, I observed flocks of these birds 

 arriving after an almost total absence of several months." 



Messrs. Davidson and Wenden, writing of the Deccan, say : 

 "Abundant in the Satara Districts, where it is a permanent resident. 

 It breeds in the plains there in December and on the ghats in 

 March. During the rains it is very common throughout the 

 Sholapoor Districts." 



And Mr. J. Davidson, speaking of Western Khandesh, says : 

 " It is in February the commonest bird in the low Satpuras, and I 

 have found as many as a dozen nests in a day's walk through the 

 hills." 



In the western parts of Ceylon, according to Colonel Legge, 

 this species breeds from February to May. 



As a rule, the eggs of this species are proportionally broader 

 ovals than those of the common Rose-ring Paroquet, and they are 

 more distinctly pointed towards the small end. The eggs are 

 much smaller than those of P. torquatus; far more so than the 

 relative sizes of the birds would have led one to suspect. The 

 quite fresh egg is of course pure white, but they are almost invari- 

 ably somewhat discoloured, and at least half my specimens are a 

 dingy cream-colour. They are quite devoid of gloss. 



They vary in length from 0'9 to 1-05 inch, and in breadth from 

 0*75 to O86 inch ; but the average of some twenty eggs measured 

 was 1-0 by 0-81 inch. 



Palaeornis cyanocephalus (Linn.). The Eastern Rose-headed 



Paroquet. 

 Palseornis cyanocephalus (Linn.), Hume, Cat. no. 149 bis. 



Writing of the Eastern Eose-headed Paroquet in Pegu, Mr. 

 Gates remarks : " Nest with four eggs well incubated in a hole of 

 a tree about six feet from the ground. The hole was a foot deep, 

 very roomy, but the entrance, which had been enlarged by the 

 bird, was only large enough to admit its body. The eggs were 

 laid on the bare wood. Although the sitting bird was poked at with 

 a stick, and it took fully half an hour to enlarge the hole in order 

 to take the eggs, yet the bird could not be induced to quit the 

 nest, and eventually had to be dragged out. When disturbed with 

 the stick the female made a noise like the hissing of a snake. 

 These eggs were taken on the 22nd February. 



" On the 2nd March two fresh eggs were taken from another 

 hole ; and on the 16th March another nest was found also with 

 two eggs well incubated. 



" The eggs are of course pure white, rather glossy when fresh, 

 but becoming dull with incubation. The eggs measure from -97 to 

 95 in length, and from *85 to *8 in breadth." 



