XENOBHTNCHT7S. 265 



brought me as the eggs of the Lesser Adjutant. I failed to see 

 any of these birds myself, but they are common enough in the 

 same forest, for subsequently I procured young birds which I am 

 uo\v rearing. I see no reason to doubt the authenticity of the 

 eggs. I was in the forest only one morning, and might easily 

 have failed to notice this species. In fact the Burmans told me 

 it was too early for them, as they breed later than the Pouched 

 Adjutant. 



''The two eggs measure 3-16 and 2-98 by 2-25 and 2-2 respec- 

 tively. These dimensions are rather larger than the largest egg of 

 L. cfiganteus I procured. In colour they are precisely the same." 



Mr. H. Parker, writing from North-west Ceylon, gives the 

 following account of the breeding of this bird : 



"February to April. At length I can give some trustworthy 

 information regarding the breeding of the Hair-crested Stork in 

 Ceylon. A nest was found by three native hunters in February 

 in very dense forest, and the eggs, two in number, were brought 

 to me. Both birds were on the tree, one being on the nest. 

 Subsequently one was shot for me, still frequenting the tree. 

 The nest was a large structure of sticks high up in the tree, and 

 that is all I know of it. The men stated that as the eggs were 

 being taken the birds circled overhead, making a noise like that 

 caused by the vibration of telegraph-wires in a wind. 



" The shape of the eggs is a somewhat narrowed oval, slightly 

 pointed at the large end. They are white and closely pitted or 

 granulated, glossless, of a rough, chalky, absorbent texture, and 

 would apparently be soon discoloured ; although they were newly 

 laid, one is already considerably soiled by the feet of the bird. 

 Their dimensions are 2-82 by 2-11, and 2-86 by 2-07." 



Xenorhynchus asiaticus (Lath.). The Black-necked Stork. 



Mycteria australis, Shaw, Jerd. B. Ind. ii, p. 734. 



Mycteria indica (Lath.}, Hume, Rough Draft N. # E. no. 917. 



The Black-necked Stork breeds, I believe, pretty well all over 

 the Empire in well-watered tracts, where large lakes, jheels, or 

 swamps are common, but it is no\vhere, that I have seen, numeri- 

 cally abundant. 



It lays, the time varying a good deal according to season, from 

 the beginning of September to the middle of December, and Mr. 

 Home took hard-set eggs as late as the 27th of the latter month. 



They build upon large trees, very commonly on large peepul- 

 trees, but I have found the nest on sheeshum, semul, and many 

 other kinds. 



The nest, always a great platform of sticks, is sometimes 

 enormous ; one I found near Badlee was fully 6 feet long by 

 3 feet broad, and so deep that three fully-fledged young ones just 

 able to fly were able to crouch in it so as to be invisible, even 

 when the nest was looked at from some distance with binoculars. 



