172 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 



They breed constantly in the cage they are kept in, and at 

 the time I saw them there were a pair of young ones nearly 

 full grown, one of which was the same color as the wild bird, 

 and the other similar in plumage to the wild bird, but much 

 paler and with the neck ring ill defined. 



E. A. Butler, Capt., 



83rd Regiment. 

 Karachi, 9tk February 1878. 



Sir, 



I WAS so fortunate as to obtain a nest and egg of the 

 Malabar Trojon (Uarpactes faseiatus) the other day, and as 

 you may care for an account of them, I send this note to you. 



The nest is a very simple affair, being only a little rotten 

 wood in a hollow at the top of a dead stump, and about eight 

 feet from the ground. It did not seem to have been excavated 

 at all, nor was there any entrance bored, as would have beeu 

 the case with a Barbet's nest. 



The eggs are, of course, pure white, very round, glossy, and 

 rather large for the size of the bird. They were two in number, 

 and as they were slightly incubated, I presume that is the full 

 number laid. They measure : — 

 1-075 by 0-83. 



1 by 0-92. Taken March 22nd, 1878. 

 The nest was in thick jungle. 



F. Fulton Bourdillon. 

 S. Travancore, April 15th, 1878. 



Sir, 



I notice that both Jerdon and Mr. Hume state that the 

 Common Palm Swifts (C batassiensis) invariably breeds on 

 the Palmyra Palm. In this district the Swift is rather common, 

 aud the Palmyra Palm is very rare ; indeed I have not seen 

 more than a dozen trees altogether. On almost all of them 

 I have found the Swift breeding, but from the number of Swifts 

 I have long been sure that they must breed on other trees, and 

 to-day I took a nest on a leaf of the Beetle-nut Palm with three 

 fresh eggs. There were many other Swifts evidently breeding 

 in the same garden.- The leaves of the Beetle-nut Palm bend 

 down almost in the same way as the Palmyra. The nest 

 was, however, on one of the upper leaves which was nearly 

 horizontal. 



Yours truly, 



J. Davidson. 

 Tamkeve, Mysore, 8th May 1878. 



