Notes on the Birds of the ^anihhir Ijalce Sj- its vicivity. 375 



pleased with the handiwork of his mate, that he perched on an 

 adjoining branch and poured forth a joyous strain, flapping- his 

 wing's, and making his axillary feathers rotate in the most 

 extraordinary manner. On the 13th of May the young were 

 hatched, and 1 never once observed the male coming near the 

 nest to feed them; about the 24th the birds were well fledged. 

 It does seem strange that the male of this species should not 

 take any part in the construction of the nest, the hatcliing or the 

 rearing of the young, but I presume that the reason of this is 

 that his conspicuous plumage about the nest would attract the 

 attention of birds that might destroy it. 



When in Oudh I have seen the village boys with tame honey- 

 suckers which they carried about on their hands, having a horse- 

 hair attached to the bird's leg. The birds were fed with sugar 

 and water, which was kept in the hollow of a slender reed, and 

 they seemed veiy much pleased when they were allowed to sip it. 



246.— Salpornis spilonota, FranM. 



I have lately had two specimens of this rare bird shot for me in 

 the jungle near Knochamun. This is the second time that I liave 

 obtained it. In 1868, when at the village of the Moteepur — in 

 the Baraitch district — on tlie outskiits of the forest, I saw a 

 small party of six of these birds fly into a tree, and I then 

 obtained two. 



Male, length of dried skin, 5-75 ; wing, 3'5 ; tail, from vent, 

 1"7 ; bill at front, I'O ; tarsus, 0'6. 



254.— Upupa epops, L. 



The European hoopoe is very common about this lake during 

 the cold weather, but it disappears entirely during the breeding 

 season, and returns about the end of August. Six specimens, 

 with bills measuring 2 "2, have the amount of white on the crest 

 feathers varying very much. 



255. — Upupa nigripennis, Gould. 



This species is not common. I have only obtained one female, 

 and there is hardly a trace of white on its ciest. 



Length, 11"1 ; expanse, ]6'9; wing 5"5 ; tail from vent, 3-8 ; 

 tarsus, 0*8; bill at front, 1-9 j mid toe and claw, 0*8; irides, 

 dark brown. 



256.— CoUyrio lahtora, Sykes. 



The pallid shrike is very common and breeds here from March 

 till July. I have on several occasions witnessed this bird attack 

 and capture young birds, and I once rescued a young Temetmchns 

 pagodaraiu which was in a fair way of being killed. 



