496 Letters to the Editor. 



Ghaut of the Neilg-herries. I believe I am about the first who 

 noticed this bird in Southern India. 



On the Coonoor Ghaut of the Neilg-herries^ I have shot the 

 brown necked spinetail, the bine necked bee-eater, and on 17th 

 February, 1872, near Burliah, T shot a painted spur fowl : it is the 

 only time I have ever seen or heard of them being in that part. — - 



J. W. ViPAN. 



SlE, 



If you consider the occurrence, which I shall very 

 briefly describe, rather extraordinary, as it appears to me, per- 

 haps you may deem this note of sufficient intei'est to . Indian 

 Ornithologists as to merit a spare niche in Stray Feathers. 



1873, January 23. — While journeying by boat on the river 

 Bhairab, off a place called Naupara, some 16 miles to the South- 

 East of the station of Jessore, in Lower Bengal, I observed a 

 Brahmani kite, [Ilaliastur Indus, Bodd.,) make a rather leisurely 

 swoop at a fish swimming on the surface of the stream, but 

 when almost within its grasp, a kingfisher, (Alcedo lengalensis, 

 Gm.,) which had darted down swiftly, carried off the pre}''. This 

 appeared to have infuriated the kite, and it immediately followed 

 in hot pursuit of the kingfisher, and after a long" and stern chase, 

 it eventually succeeded in seizing its unresisting quariy ; holding- 

 the screeching" bird securely in its talons, it bore it to the 

 shore, and after complacently plucking the feathers of its, (then 

 still alive) victim, it set about devouring its quivering fiesli with 

 evident satisfaction. On my approaching the spot, soon after the 

 kite had commenced its savage repast, it flew away, leaving* little 

 else than a few bare bones of the king-fisher. — H. J. Rainey. 



Sir, 



In your July number Capt. Marshall has an article 

 on Gallinago stenura which contains some inaccuracies. The above 

 kind i& larger and has more richly barred lower wing coverts; the 

 length of bill is no criterion, for it is as long" as that of the 

 common snipe in some specimens and shorter in others. Capt. 

 Marshall gives 6 as the number of feathers on each side of the 

 tail — they are 7, one, the outermost, being largest. What I have 

 noticed in this bird is that towards the end of the season, i. e., 

 from the last week in February, the pintailed snipe is very com- 

 mon, two out of every five shot being of this kind. This season. 

 I intend making a list of the different kinds shot and will let 

 you know the result. — J. R. Ceipps. Bhyrub Bazaar. Dacca. 



End of Vol. I. 



