The Zoologist— January, 1866. 15 



eggs, and I found from three to four young ones in each nest. The 

 eggs resemble in shape and size a medium-sized hen's egg, but are of 

 a dirty white colour. The birds are white, with black head, feet and 

 nect, and have a long curved black bill. The head and neck are 

 naked, and the tail-feathers of rather a rusty brown colour; the lower 

 sides of the wings, from the axillae to the extremities, are naked ; and 

 the skin in the old birds is of a deep scarlet colour ; in the young this 

 is absent, although the part is naked. The young are fully fledged in 

 March, and take to the wing in April. 



3. The Gray Heron [Ardea cinerea) ; Tamil, " Narai," sometimes 

 " Pamboo narai," or " Snake crane ;" has a similar nest built of twigs, 

 containing sometimes two, sometimes three eggs. 1 only found two 

 young in the nests; they are fledged from January to April, according 

 to the time of depositing their eggs, which some do earlier than olhets. 

 The eggs are of a light green colour; they are not so large in circum- 

 ference as a large-sized hen's egg, but are longer, with the small end 

 sharp. 



4. The Purple Heron {Ardea purpurea) ; Tamil, " Cumbly narai," or 

 " Blanket crane." Nest the same ; deposits two or three eggs, of same 

 size and colour as last ; seems to rear only two young. The young 

 are fully fledged in April. 



5. Ardea Nycticorax; Tamil, " Wukka." Nests are built after the 

 same fashion, but smaller in size, and contain five eggs ; hatches four 

 or five young; eggs the size of a bantam's, and of the same shape. 

 The young are fledged in April. 



6. The Cormorant {Graculus pygmaiis) ; Tamil, " Neer cakai," or 

 "Water-crow." Nest the same as the others, built of sticks; deposits 

 three or four eggs, and rears three or four young, which are fledged 

 and on the wing in January ; eggs like those of a small-sized bantam, 

 rather sharp-pointed at small end, with a slight greenish tinge. 



7. The Large Cormorant {Graculus siennensis) ; Tamil, " Peroon 

 neer cakai," or " Large water crow." Builds a very rude nest, chiefly 

 formed of sticks ; lays four eggs, and rears two, three or four young. 

 The eggs are the size of a medium-sized domestic hen's, and have a 

 slight greenish tinge ; the young are fledged sometimes in January, 

 sometimes in March, according to the time of their nesting. These 

 birds, as well as G. pygraaeus, are to be seen fishing in the tank itself; 

 and the rapidity with which they find their prey, by diving, is 

 wonderful. 



8. The Darter {Ploius melanoy aster) ; Tamil, " Pamboo Thalai 



