98 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HLST. SOCLETY, Vol. XXI. 



1139. (89). Pal^ornis cyanouephalus. Western Blossom-headed 



Paroquet. 

 Chota Tota. 

 The large Indian Paroquet is the most popular cage bird, so much 

 so that contractors regularly pay for the monopoly of the right to take all 

 the young birds to be found in particular tracts of jungle. 

 1152. (90). Strix plammea. Barn-owl or Screech-owl. 



Grugu. 

 The old fort at Dhamoni is full of these owls. 

 1161, (91). Syrnium ocbllatum. Mottled Wood-owl. 

 1164. (92). Keiupa zeylonensis. Brown Fish-owl. 



Guffu. 

 A most fearsome bird : I shall never forget seeing one of these owls in a 

 big mango tree which, I promptly climbed in the hope of finding the nest. 

 T found the nest all right with two young ones in a large hollow 

 of the trunk ; it was late in the evening and getting dark and as I climbed 

 both the parent owls watched me, one each side, from a distance of a few 

 feet. With their huge yellow eyes and most truculent aspect in general 

 they were about as terrifying as tigers and I was expecting a ' charge " at 

 any moment. 



1180. (93). Athene bkama. Spotted owlet. 



Chipvu. 

 A very common little owl ; it is a most amusing sight to see three or four 

 young ones at the edge of their nesting hole, all glaring and jerkily 

 bobbing and bowing at one like so many little marionettes. I feel sure 

 that there are other species of owls in the district, one of which Mr. Tucker 

 says, is the Jungle owlet {Glaucidium radiatum) of which he has seen 

 several pairs. The four above-mentioned are however the only ones I am 

 definitely certain of, and owls, like Nightjars, present difficulties in the 

 matter of identification. 



1192. (94). Gyps fulvus. Griifon vulture. 



Gid. 

 I saw this vulture breeding on a cliff at Mundra. 



1196. (95). PsEUDOGYPS BBNGALENSis. Indian White-backed vulture. 



Gid. 



1197. (96). Neophron ginginianus. Smaller White Scavenger-vulture. 



Safed cMl. 

 I believe this is the Saugor vulture and not Neophron perenopterus. The 

 latter is said to have the bill dusky, never yellow, and every vulture of this 

 species which I have seen in Saugor has a very distinctly yellow bill. 

 I take this opportunity of warning egg collectors of a dreadful method 

 of defence sometimes adopted by the young of the white-backed vulture, 

 which, when the luckless climber comes within range, deliberately puts its 



