FROM NORTH-WEST CEYLON. 48 L 



of grass and the silky plumes of seeds, tied, like tbe others, 

 with spider's web, and having the ordinary lining. 



Three eggs are laid, glossy ovals, in some cases compressed 

 in the centre, in others towards the large end. The ground 

 colour is white, overspread with faint salmon-coloured, or pale 

 buff, indistinct, longitudinal markings, which are confluent 

 in a much darker cap at the obtuse end, or in some instances 

 in a small zone. In two eggs in my possession the markings 

 might be termed small blotches, and they have a pinkish tinge. 

 Five eggs give an average of O'Gl^ % 0'50". As might be 

 expected, the eggs show a very close affinity to those of D.jerdoni, 

 but they are more spherical, and the markings are rather bolder 

 and slightly darker. The birds breed only once a year, but con- 

 tinue to frequent the neighbourhood of their nests. 



660. — Corone macrorhyncha, Wagl. 



During dry weather these Crows are accustomed to store 

 away meat in the hot sandy beds of streams. When I was 

 on a shooting trip in September 1880, some of them spent 

 several days in carrying off and burying the results, — to feast 

 their famine on the fat of bears. Unluckily for the Crows the 

 camping-ground was changed, and the new site proved to be 

 almost over one of their stores. It was amusing to see their 

 anxiety to remove the delicacy before it was stolen ; they 

 worked indefatigably under a broiling sun for six hours, until 

 it was deposited in a less disreputable neighbourhood, about 

 100 yards away. "What particularly struck me was never once 

 observing one of them insert its bill in the sand without extract- 

 ing a piece of meat, although the store covered several square 

 yards. There must have been fully a bushel of meat in it. 



777.— Osmotreron pompadoura, Gm. 



Eight eggs give an average of 1*15" X OSS' 7 . This bird 



'i3n 



■deserts its nest on the least possible provocation. 



780.— Carpophaga senea, Lin. 



September to July. — Three eggs give an average of 1*73" X 

 1*3 1". They are pure white, smooth, very glossy and some- 

 what elliptical, but slightly compressed and pointed at one end. 

 Only one egg is usually laid. The nests are abandoned on being 

 examined. 



At the close of the breeding season these birds collect in 

 small flocks, numbering from 6 to 30, or more, and appear to 

 have regular roosting places, from which they issue in the 

 morning to their feeding grounds, often several miles away. 

 Their habits while breeding resemble those of other pigeons. 



