50 A FIRST LIST OF THE 



flocks all over the district, and is a constant resident. It is, how- 

 ever, very uncertain in its movements, and appears to be locally 

 migratory. In the rains there are comparatively few, and 

 these are seen singly in the paddy fields perching on bushes. It 

 breeds in all large nullahs with steep banks, and I lately came 

 across a colony in the Irrawaddy ; but I have hitherto failed to 

 meet with the large colonies mentioned by Jerdon. It occurs 

 nearly to the summit of the Pegu Hills, but I did not find it on 

 the eastern slopes. It occurs again in the plains near Tonghoo." 

 Captain Feilden says : " Breeds in vast numbers on the banks 

 of the Irrawaddy. The young leave the nest at the beginning 

 of the rains/'' 



119.— Merops Swinhoei, JSwme. 



Mr. Oates does not appear to have met with this species. 

 Captain Feilden says : "The Chestnut-capped Bee-eater is rather 

 a rare bird about Thayetmyo. I have only found them during 

 the rains on the banks of streams, bordered by sandy cliffs, 

 capped with high trees." 



124.— Coracias affinis, McClell. 



Mr. Oates says that this species is " extremely common over 

 the whole of our limits, scarce only in the Evergreen Forest. 



" I found the nest, in a hole in a tree, with the young nearly 

 ready to quit the nest on the 21st May. This bird has a curious 

 habit of lying in the hottest part of the day on thatched roofs 

 with its wings spread out to their fullest extent." 



Unfortunately only a single specimen is sent, and that is remark- 

 able for an abnormally slender bill very much hooked at the 

 point, quite unlike the bill of any affinis I have from Tenasserim, 

 Rangoon, Tipperah, and the Bhootan Dooai's. I can only suppose 

 that this is a deformity, for this remarkable shape of bill, if 

 constant, would almost warrant specific separation. 



127 Ms.— Pelargopsis burmanica, Skarpe. 



For full description of this species, vide Stray Feathers, 

 1874, p. 165. 



Birds from Thayetmyo differ in no way from others from the 

 Arracan Hills, Rangoon, and the Andamans. 



Mr. Oates says : " Common everywhere, both in the plains and 

 hills in large nullahs." This Kingfisher hovers in the air like 

 a Kestril. In fact, all the Kingfishers I know do it, but not so 

 habitually as Ceryle rudis" He gives the following dimen- 

 sions of males: — 



"Length, 14-3 to 15; expanse, 205; tail, from vent, 4* 6"; 

 wing, 57; bill, from gape, 3-55. 



