170 Capt. R. C. Tytler on the Fauna of Dacca. 



pair during April, for I had several opportunities of witnessing; 

 it ; they are also exceedingly common. 



When at Gunagutty enormous nights of the Falcinellus igneus 

 flew over our camp ; they are excellent eating and much sought 

 after both by European and native sportsmen, and known to the 

 former as the small Black Curlew. Owing to the numerous 

 swamps the number of aquatic birds is surprising, and the 

 country is perfectly dotted by the Anastomus oscitans and Ciconia 

 leucocephala. I was fortunate in obtaining two eggs of this latter 

 species, one of which is now in the museum of the Honourable 

 East India Company, and the other in my own collection ; they 

 are larger than a hen's egg, and of a pure white colour. The 

 Plotus melanogaster and Graculus pygmceus are plentiful ; the 

 former is the well-known Snake-bird of India; both these spe- 

 cies are peculiar in their habits, and may be seen constantly 

 seated for hours, apparently motionless, on trees or stakes in or 

 near water, watching their prey ; they are also in constant attend- 

 ance on the nets of fishermen, perching themselves familiarly on 

 the nets ; here they sit in solitary silence, occasionally spreading 

 out their wings to dry in the burning sun, placing themselves 

 while so doing in most eccentric attitudes. I had a splendid 

 specimen of Anas pcecilorhyncha shot and sent to me by a brother 

 officer, who mentioned seeing numbers in the same jheel where 

 he killed this bird. I also obtained a very curious Tringa, of 

 what species I am at present uncertain ; it may prove to be only 

 an albinoid variety of T. minuta. The Lanius superci/iosus (Ind. 

 var.) is quite disappearing, and the Lanius nigriceps is very com- 

 mon. The Megalaima asiatica and Sciurus pahnarum become 

 scarce, nor did I see one of either after crossing the river Pud- 

 dur; so scarce seems the common Palm Squirrel of India, that 

 the natives of Dacca are almost ignorant of its existence. 



I observed large flocks of the Larus brunnicephalus fly down the 

 stream of the river Puddur, as also a flock of that elegant duck, 

 Anas caryophyllacea : the Acridotheres ginginianus and Sphenura 

 striata are not uncommon on the banks of the same river; the 

 latter confining themselves to the grass and bush jungle in the 

 neighbourhood. I had several opportunities of observing the 

 actions of Glareola orientalis; they are not uncommon; about 

 dusk numbers are seen actively engaged, like swallows, in search 

 of insects, which they take on the wing, to which latter birds 

 their movements bear a great similarity. 



Amongst the liaptores the Halia'etus macei are very common ; 

 they are not choice in their selection of food, for I have seen 

 them eating carrion in company with vultures and other carrion 

 birds. Whilst on the subject of Raptores, I shall relate a curious 

 circumstance connected with the habits of Milvus ater and Ha- 



