484 NOTES, CHIEFLY OOLOGICAL, 



February, in very dense forest, several miles from anywhere,* 

 and the eggs, two in number, were brought to me. Both 

 birds were on the [tree, one being on the nest. Subsequently 

 one was shot for me, still freqaentiDg the tree. The nest was 

 a large structure of sticks high up in the tree, and that is all 

 I know of it. The men stated that, as the eggs were being 

 taken, the birds circled overhead, making a noise like that caused 

 by the vibration of telegraph wires in a wind. 



The shape of the eggs is a somewhat narrowed oval, slightly 

 pointed at the large end. They are white, and closely pitted 

 or granulated, glossless, of a rough, chalky, absorbent texture, 

 and would apparently be soon discoloured ; although they 

 were newly laid, one is already considerably soiled by the feet 

 of the bird. Their dimensions are 2'82"x2-ll", and 2'86"X 

 2-07". 



Later in the same month, I met with another egg which 1 

 doubtfully identify as belonging to this bird. It was lying on 

 the sand in the almost dried-up bed of the Aruvi Aru, the 

 small river entering the sea at Mannar, dropped, as was evi- 

 dent from the clearly-defiued foot-prints, by a large wader, as 

 the bird was stalking leisurely along. The stride was 25 inches, 

 too big, I fancy, for Dissura episcopa, the stride of which 

 is from 18 to 21 inches. The egg exactly resembles the others 

 in colour, shape, and texture, but is much smaller, being only 

 2*58" X 1-85". The White-necked Stork was the only other large 

 wader frequenting the spot. 



Afterwards, Mr. Hawkes, P. W. D., informed me that he 

 received a nestling from the Eastern Province forest in Febru- 

 ary 1879, and still has it quite tame. Subsequently he wrote 

 that at the beginning of last April, Captain Walker, of the 

 Forest Department, came upon a large colony " dozens of 

 nests" at Eukam tank, in the Eastern Province. The nests 

 contained young, some of which are now being reared. 



In the Mannar district, the " Adjutants'''' do not breed in 

 colonies, but pairs are scattered throughout the forest tract. 

 During the breeding season I often saw single birds coming from 

 it, at a great elevation, to the low lands nearer the sea, and 

 returning, presumably, with food. 



917. — Xenorhynchus asiaticus, Lath. 



This Stork probably breeds in Ceylon during the north- 

 east monsoon. I found one nest in a tall tree on the sea 

 coast, then occupied by a pair of Fish Eagles (H. leucog aster). 

 The boatmen, who constantly pass the spot, informed me that 

 it was built in 1880 by a large wader, and their description 



* This reminds one of the American, who lived " at the back of nowhere !" — 

 Ed. 



