306 FIRST LIST OF THE BIRDS OF 



front, including cere, 1'66. Irides brown ; claws light horny ; 

 bill below greenish yellow ; above horny ; legs greenish brown ; 

 cere blackish ; mouth, inside pale fleshy. 



Very common during the rains all over the country in the 

 standing paddy. During the cold weather where they went to 

 I never could find out. They breed in the district in July and 

 August. As regards the artificial incubation of the eggs of 

 this species, see my letter, S. F., I., 531. 



905.— *Gallinula chloropus, Linn. 



When riding in to the Rajbaree station on the E.B. Railway 

 in February 1878, I saw about 30 of these birds swimming 

 in a tank which was on the outskirts of a heavy patch of cane 

 jungle ; not having a gun with me, 1 did not secure any speci- 

 mens. I never again came across the birds, but I am positive as 

 to their having belonged to this and not the white-breasted 

 species. 



907.— *Erythra phcenicura, Pennant. 



These are very common, keeping to the patches of cane and 

 bush jungles which surround the villages in this part of the 

 country, and in the early morning they venture into the fields 

 that skirt these jungles ; they are very often seen feeding about 

 the village roads wherever these are bordered by cane jungle. 



915.— *Leptoptilus argalus, Lath. 



Seen in large flocks in October and April, when they are 

 passing through on their migrations. Some times as many as 

 300 are in a flock both in the blue grey and black plumage. 

 A strao-o-ler or two, however, is sometimes seen during the cold 

 weather. In Calcutta every one knows how fearless this bird is, 

 but when they are in large flocks they frequent the pools of 

 water and ditches in open paddy fields. At Dhoopgooree in 

 the Julpigorie district, and close to the Gwaber Tea Association's 

 garden, are several large forest trees surrounded with dense 

 jungle, on which several pairs of these birds (or the may have 

 been javanicus) breed annually during the cold season ; I unfor- 

 tunately could not look them up when they were laying. 



919.— Oiconia alba, Belon. 



2nd March 1878, Female.— Length, 51-75 ; expanse, 77*50 ; 

 wing, 24-0 ; tail from vent, 975 ; tarsus, 8'50 ; bill from 

 gape, 7*75 ; at front, 7-16 ; closed wings equal end of tail. 

 Leers dirty pink; bill bright pink. 



