NOTES ON ANDAMAN BIRDS. 487 



1 found a single egg slightly incubated on April 9 lying on the dry leaves in a 

 patch of deciduous forest on Baratang Island. Another broken egg by about 



2 feet away in the ground. The parent-bird when disturbed flew yards away 

 and then kept moving about, raising her wings and opening her mouth. 



I found another nest with two half-fledged young in a similar situation at 

 Stewart Sound on May 4. The egg is broadly elliptical, with a slight gloss. 

 The ground is pale salmon, with dull pinkish-brown spots and blotches aivd 

 underlying grey markings. 



Dimensions of egg, 11" x 0"84" 



1107. Cuculus micropterus. — The Indian Cuckoo. 

 Common and noisy from April to June, 



1120. Eudynamis honorata. — The Indian Koel. 

 Very common in the cold weather, arriving September-October, and leaving 

 in April. They do not breed in the Andamans. 



1132. Centropus andamanensis. — The Andaman Coucal. 

 Common wherever there is thick cover. Noisy, especially in the evenings, 

 when they give their call of "Hoop, Boop," &c. They also have a curious 

 chuckling call, as well as a low grating one inaudible unless one is quite close. 

 They breed in July, building the usual large globular nest of twigs lined with 

 dry cane or palm leaves, which is placed in some dense shrub or thicket at 

 no great height from the ground. The eggs, generally 3 in number, are white 

 and glossless, bearing usually yellow stains which cannot be removed. 



Length, !'28" to 1-47". Breadth, 1-06" to 1-13", Average of 6 eggs, 

 1-40" x MO". 



1137. Palceomis magnirostris. — The Large Andaman Paroquet. 

 Exceedingly common everywhere. 



1145. Palceomis fascialus. — The Red-breasted Paroquet. 

 Perhaps the commonest bird in the Andamans. Comes into Port Blair in 

 tens of thousands in December and January, devouring the paddy. 



1148. Palceomis tytleri. — The Red-cheeked Andaman Paroquet. 

 Not so common as the last, but still very numerous. I found a nest in a hole 

 in an avenue tree (Padouk) 15 feet from the ground on 20th February. It 

 contained two fresh eggs. 



1150. Loriculus vernalis. — The Indian Loriquet. 



Exceedingly common, especially in Port Blair, feeding on fruit, especially 



guavas. They lay their egg3 at the bottom of holes in stumps, the eggs being 



usually below the level of the ground. The nest cavity is lined with a layer of 



green leaves, cut into segments. Four eggs are laid, which are white and glossy. 



The average of 4 eggs gave 076" x 0'62". 



1152. Strix flammea. — The Barn-Owl or Screech-Owl. 

 I caught a full-grown specimen of this owl in a field. It is now alive in the 

 Calcutta Zoological Gardens. 



1173. Scops lalli. — The Andaman Scops Owl. 

 This owl is common everywhere, but thoroughly nocturnal and therefc re 

 rarely seen, I found a nest in a hole in a Padcuk tiee with a single fresh egg, 



