362 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HLST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXIV. 



Like the latter it has two distinct calls. The first is almost exactly like- 

 one of the two calls of C, passerinus and consists of three notes, the first 

 and third the same, the second about a tone lower, repeated three times, 

 each repetition being a little higher in the scale than the preceding. 



The second call of C. merulinus is entirely different to that of C. passenmni. 

 The call of the latter, well expressed by the word ^'ka-veer. . . .," repeated 

 several times, in a slightly descending scale, is peculiar to that species. 



The alternative call of C. merulinus, on the other hand, is a single note 

 repeated about four times at half second intervals followed by a rapidlj' 

 accelerating vibratory note, somewhat resembling in its intervals the settling- 

 down of a bouncing ping-pong ball. It is possible that these two very 

 distinct calls in the case of the two species of Cacomantis are each confined 

 to one sex, but I have been unable to prove this. C. merulinus begins to 

 call in April and continues throughout May and June. The last bird 1 heard 

 calling was on July 24. They are shy and difficult to observe but very 

 noisy and persistent in calling both by night and by day. Both calls are 

 heard in the day time, but at night the second only. 



Five eggs of this cuckoo were taken, two by Major Pollard and three by 

 myself, all in the nests of FranMinia yracilis, a very common bird here. 



It is probable that the nests of Franklinia rufescens (a rarer species) and 

 of Orthotomus are also patronized by this cuckoo. 



The eggs are oval with a slight tendency to ellipticity, fairly glossy and 

 measure respectively 0-77" x 51", 076" x 0-.53", 0-71" x O'SO", 0-70" x 

 0-51", and 0-70" x OSO". 



The ground colour of the egg is either pure white or Zosterops blue, lightlj'' 

 spotted with pale chestnut or rufous especially at the large end where the 

 spots tend to form a fairly dense zone. In fact, except for size, they are 

 very fair imitations of the different types of Franklinia eggs. The eggs- 

 were taken between May 20 and July 15. They were in each case associated 

 with 3 eggs of Franklinia, and as four is the normal full complement of the 

 latter it is probable that one egg of the wren-warbler is removed by the 

 cuckoo when she deposits her own. 



7. Surnicidus tuyubris. — The Drongo Cuckoo. 



This bird is not very common around Maymyo, and it is superficially S(v 

 like a king crow that it would generally escape detection if it were not for 

 its characteristic call and which may be heard occasionally in the forest 

 between April and June. 



The usual call is a series of 5 or 6 notes in a regular ascending scale. It 

 has another call resembling somewhat the alternative call of Hierococci/.i 

 varius, but in a much shriller key. 



I failed to find the eggs of this cuckoo, which, however, are probably 

 deposited in the nests of Dicrurus cineraceus, the common forest king-crow 

 in these parts. 



8. Fndi/namis honor ata. — The Koel. 



This bird is exceedingly common in and around Maymj^o from April to 

 June but seems to disappear altogether in July, probably descending to 

 the plains. 



Its note is too well-known to need description. 



There are two species of crow found in Maymyo, viz., C. insolens and C. 

 macrorhynchus .. Other species of Corvid<e which are common are Urocissa 

 occipitalis, Dendrocitta ru/a and himalai/ensis and Gari'ulus leucotis. 



1 found no eggs of the koel but on May 2nd a nest of TJrocissa occipitalis 

 examined was found to contain three fully fledged young koels ! 



What had become of the eggs or young of the Magpie I am unable to 

 say. Two of the three young koels were in black, and one in mottled 

 plumage. I am unaware if young koels have been previously recorded iu 



