AND SPECIALLY THOSE OF THE THOUNGYEEN VALLEY. 145 



way, described as a large mass of sticks and twigs, with 

 scarcely any depression in the centre, and unlined. 



The egg was chalky white, rather a broad oval, without 

 markings of any kind, and perfectly fresh. It measures " 2*58 

 by 2-03." During the robbery the birds flew about uneasily 

 round and round the tree, but out of shot, and it was not till 

 after an hour's watching and stalking I managed to bag one of 

 them, which, on dissection, proved to be the female with ano- 

 ther perfect, but shell-less, egg inside her. 



53.— Circus melanoleucus, Forst. 



This bird coming in in November is not uncommon where- 

 ever there is any paddy cultivation. I have noticed it at 

 Maulmain, near Ngabeemah, on the Attaran, arouud Kau- 

 karit on the Houndraw River, and close to two villages in the 

 Thoungyeen valley. 



55.— Haliastur indus, Bodd. 



In the Thoungyeen this is the commonest of the Raptors. 



I noticed a pair breeding near Kaukarit on the Houndraw 

 river, but the nest, when examined on the 4th April, was 

 still unfinished. 



56 fe?\— Milvus affinis, Gould. 



Common at Kaukarit and all through the plains. Exces- 

 sively rare on the east side of the Dawna range in the 

 Thoungyeen. It was only at Meeawuddy, opposite to which 

 the Dawna range sinks to an elevation of only 1,000 feet, 

 that I observed one or two on the 3rd February. 



As noticed in my former paper (vide S. F., Vol. VIIL, p. 191) 

 JUilvus govinda also occurs, but as I shot and preserved only 

 one specimen, and that turned out so bad a one that I 

 threw it away, I have not entered it, and only noticed it as 

 above in this paper. 



58. — Baza lophotes, Cuv. 



On both sides of the Dawna mountains this bird I find is 

 common. In the Thoungyeen forests I have always found 

 it in small parties, never singly. In July 1879 I tried to 

 stalk a few that were seated on the trees round a cultivation 

 clearing near Koosaik on the Thouugyeen river, but they 

 were too wary, flew up and began to sail in circles round 

 and round at a great height. 



On the 11th August 1879 I shot a young female in the 

 act of being fed by the old ones, both parent birds flying 

 off and procuring food for her. 



19 



