AND SPECIALLY THOSE OF THE THOUNGYEEN . VALLEY. 167 



he got on to the next branch below, the one in which the hole 

 was, the little bird darted out, and though I fired hastily, 1 

 missed ; however I had identified it, so I didn't much care. 

 After cutting and hacking for a short time at the branch 

 which was decayed more or less, the man managed to get his 

 hand in and shouted down that there were two eggs resting on 

 the bare wood. 



These I directed him to extract carefully, tie up in his goung- 

 boung (head handkerchief), and let down carefully with a 

 string he had taken up. No sooner said than done. He then 

 cut off the decayed branch. The nest hole ran about six inches 

 into the branch downwards, and the entrance looked as if it 

 had been about an inch in diameter. The two eggs were 

 pure pearly white, with a pinkish tinge from the yoke showing 

 through, not very glossy and rather elongated in shape. They 

 measure respectively, 1*00 and 0'97 by 0*7 and 0*69. 



203.— Cuculus micropterus, Gould. 



In the Thoungyeen valley this bird is not rare in March 

 and April. They seem to begin to come in about the middle 

 of February and all day long to keep up their noisy call. 



A male I shot on 4th March 1880, on the Thekkaya choung, 

 Thoungyeen river, measured in the flesh : — Length, 12*17 ; 

 expanse, 220; wing, 7-9; tail, 6*0; tarsus, 08; bill from 

 gape, 1*34. 



Bill horny, below lighter and tinged yellowish towards 

 gape ; gape and eyelids lemon yellow ; irides nut brown ; legs 

 and feet light yellow ; the claws were curiously coloured, two 

 front ones being horny, two hind ones milk white. 



207.— Hierococcyx sparveroides, Fig. 



Must be very rare, but is found in the Thoungyeen valley. 

 One specimen I shot at Maulmain ; and a second I shot but 

 lost in the Thoungyeen river near Meeawuddy. 



209.— Cacomantis threnodes, Cab. 



This species does not, so far as I have as yet observed, extend 

 into the Thoungyeen valley. Just across the hills near 

 Kaukarit it is abundant. A specimen (male) shot there in 

 my garden measured : — Length, 8*95 ; expanse, 12 8 ; wing, 

 4*3 ; tail, 4'9 ; tarsus, 0*62 ; bill from gape, 09. 



Bill horny above ; gape and under mandible yellowish pink ; 

 irides dark brown ; legs and feet yellow ; claws horny. 



211.— Chrysococcyx maculatus, Gm. 



This bird is not rare I think, but being of quiet retired habits, 

 is seldom noticed. I myself have only come across it in the 



