TO THE EDITOR. 531 



Sharpens custody at the British Museum, where the old Hender- 

 soni, the type specimen, is deposited, and I invite a careful ex- 

 amination by European ornithologists. I have selected out of 

 my huge series the sacer that comes nearest to adult Render soni 

 in the matter of the red bars, and any one who compares 

 the two will see how widely different, in the two species, is the 

 character of these red bars. 



I have, I find, omitted to notice that Mr. Sharpe, to whom I 

 submitted specimens of the dark Andaman Halcyon, is of 

 opinion that this is distinct from smyrnensis. For those w T ho 

 concur in the specific distinctness of this bird, it should now 

 stand as Ralct/on saturatior nobis, (vide ante, p. 168.) 



Sir, 



Are you aware that the natives of the Dacca and 

 Tipperah districts very often themselves hatch the e^o-s- of 

 the Water Cock ( Gallicrex cinereus) ? The modus operandi is 

 to take half a cocoanut shell, put a layer of cotton in, on top of 

 which place the egg and fill up with cotton ; the shell is then 

 placed on the man's navel, and tied on with a Ion a- strip 

 of cloth, which is wound round the body. Until the eo-g is 

 hatched the man never bathes. At first I discredited the story, 

 but many respectable natives assure me they have known 

 instances "of this being done ; they value those birds hatched 

 by man very much. Jerdon says, on the authority of Dr. 

 Taylor, that the " Korah" is kept for fighting purposes ; they 

 are kept for the purpose of catching wild ones. When a 

 wild one is heard calling, the tame bird being let loose finds 

 him out, and grappling keeps hold until the owner comes up 

 and catches both. I know two zemindars in the Tipperah 

 district who are enthusiasts at this. Now is the time for this 

 sport. — J. R. Cripps. 



Balleegunj, Sylhet, 

 July 10th, 1874. 



Sir, 



In your December number of Vol. I, Captain Vipan, 

 in his letter to you, says of Eurystomus orientalis: — " I believe I 

 am about the first who noticed this bird in Southern India." 



