498 NOTES. 



valleys continue, as in the case of the Surjoo, the Ramganga, 

 &c, for some distance into the hills, is, in these low valleys, 

 found comparatively far into the interior. 



One of the most remarkable instances of birds straying 

 far away from their natural habitats, which has come to my 

 notice for many years, is the capture at Dilkooshah, in the 

 north-east corner of the Cachar District, and 170 miles distant 

 from the sea, of a fine specimen of Phceton flavirostris. 



In the last batch of birds, sent me by Mr. Inglis, I found 

 a specimen of this species. I at once wrote and asked him who 

 gave it him and where it came from, for though 1 have seen the 

 bird from the Andamans, 1 have never actually seen a specimen 

 shot elsewhere on our Indian Coasts. 



In reply, he informed me that the bird;] was captured close to 

 his house and brought to him alive, and he sent me the follow- 

 ing note : — 



" This bird was brought to me alive on the 9th of April 

 "last. It was captured as follows : Four small boys were out 

 " in a dng-cut on the Barrak close to my bungalow, picking 

 " up bits of drift wood. They observed the bird perched on 

 " a branch overhanging the water, and every now and then, 

 " when it dived, they noticed that it remained a considerable 

 "time under water. 



"With the intention of capturing it, they pulled the boat 

 " towards the place where it was fishing. The bird took no 

 "notice of them, but continued, at intervals, diving into the 

 " pool. One time as the bird disappeared under water, the boys 

 " shot the boat forward, and as the bird came up one of the boys 

 " struck it down with his oar. 



" I kept it in a cage for some hours, but it struggled so much 

 " that I killed it lest it should damage its plumage. 



" I had no idea it was a prize, or you should have had it 

 " sooner." 



I suspect the diving and remaining under water is an inven- 

 tion of the small boys, because at sea they certainly do not go 

 under water. At any rate the common P. indicus, which I have 

 watched fishing for hours, never does ; they drop on to their 

 prey just like a Tern and splash into the water, possibly the 

 whole head and neck, at most the upper half of the body, but 

 they never certainly go clean under water. It is, however, 

 within the limits of possibility, that plunging into the less 

 dense medium of fresh water, such birds might get under 

 water, although such is not their habit at sea, and the sm;ill 

 boys' story may possibly be less untrue than I, at present at any 

 rate, believe it to be. 



