373 Notes on the Birds of the Sambhur Lake Sj' its viciuitf. 



common. In the Marot hills the natives showed me the holes in 

 which it breeds about the beginning of the rains. The females 

 are, as a rule, a trifle smaller than the males, but the sexes vary 

 very little indeed in dimensions. Four males and three females, 

 measured in the flesh, varied in length from VZ'l to 12-2; 

 expanse, 17-2 to 17"6; wing, 6 to 6-i ; tarsus, 0*4 to 0-5; bill 

 at front, 1-8 to 1-9. 



123. — Coracias indicus, JO. 



Very common. I have taken its eggs during March, April, 

 and May. On the 24th April I saw a pair making love near the 

 Sambhur Fort, and on the 1st May 1 obtained the eggs of the 

 same birds from a cavity in a neem tree ; one of the eggs was 

 a little set. 



129. — Halcyon smyrnensis, i. 



The white- breasted kingfisher is very common, and breeds 

 in the banks of the open wells from March till June. On the 

 15th April I took a nest four feet below the ground level, and 

 three feet deep, in which I found two fresh eggs. On the 13th 

 June I took another nest in which I found five eggs, all hard- 

 set; the nest was about 18 inches deep. On the 27th June 

 I took a nest with four fresh eggs. The unblown eggs were 

 pinkish with whitish streaks. In no case had the egg cavity 

 any lining. 



134, — Alcedo bengalensis, Gm. 



Very rare. I have only observed it once here. 



136. — Oeryle rudis, i^. 



Very rare. 1 have only obtained two specimens of this bird 

 here. Both were males and had the black bands right across the 

 breast. 



148.— Palseonris torquatus, Bodd. 



This species is very common. I have, on several occasions, 

 taken the eggs from holes in neem trees during March. During 

 courtship the manner in which the male j^ersists in kissing the 

 female, and between each kiss keeps letting go one foot, generally 

 the right, from the branch on which he is sitting so as to raise 

 his body up and down, is highly amusing. 



149.— Palaeonris purpureus, Miill. 



This species is common about Sambhur and the hills towards 

 the village of Marot. It breeds here, but I have never taken 



