540 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXII. 



Fairly common, but nearly always fount! in the vicinity of water. Eggs 

 taken on 21st May 1909 and 18th April 1911. 



Melittophagus swinhoii (1030). — The Chestnut-headed Bee- eater. 



A rather rare bird. I found a nest with young ones in a river bank on 

 3rd May 1911. This Bee-e9,ter seems to prefer the vicinity of large 

 streams flowing through forest. 1 have never seen it away from forest or 

 near cultivation, 



Alcedinid^. 



Ceryle varia (1033). — The Indian Pied Kingfisher. 



Very common. 



Alcedo ispida (1035). — The Common Kingfisher. 



Fairly common. 



Pelargopsis gurial (1043). — The Brown-headed Stork-billed Kingfisher. 



This is a very noisy and not uncommon bird in well-wooded parts. Its 

 notes are very loud and harsh. 



Halcyon smyrnensis (1044). — The White-breasted Kingfisher. 



Very common. Eggs taken on 13th May 1909 and 2nd May 1911. In 

 one nest I found an ejected pellet composed of the chitinous remains of 

 winged insects which no doubt largely constitute their food. 



BtJCBKOXID^. 



Anthracoceros albirostris (1053).— The Indo-Burmese Pied Hornbill. 



Not uncommon in well-wooded areas, and Mr. Hope Simpson says they 

 are exceedingly common across the Nepal border. On 28th May 1909 I 

 cut out a nest of this bird which contained two unfledged young ones and 

 the mother. The slit, from which the mother's beak protruded about an 

 inch and a half, was about 4 inches long by 1 inch wide, the original hole 

 of about five inches diameter having been narrowed to this size by the 

 application of plaster. The plaster in this nest as well as in a former one 

 was filled with fig seeds like carroways in a seed cake and from its 

 consistency appears to me more likely to be disgorged half-digested food 

 than droppings, to which in my opinion it bears no resemblance. From the 

 moment I appeared at the entrance the mother kept up an incessant and 

 deafening screaming and made vicious snaps at whatever came within her 

 reach. I finally drew her out of the hole and set her free but she nearly 

 fell to the ground being only just able to fly a little. This was probably 

 partly owing to weakness, but also to the fact that a large number of her 

 tail and wing feathers had dropped out in the hole, and the remainder 

 were badly damaged. She did not attempt to fly again but by using her 

 bill like a parrot she managed to reach the top of a tree close by. The dirt 

 at the bottom of the hole was mixed up with large quantities of 

 Melanoxylon seeds, the fruits of which tree they are evidently very fond of. 



These hornbills seem to bear special hatred towards hawks as on two 

 occasions I have watched them pursuing large hawks with great 

 persistence. The hawk in one instance was Sjnzcstus limncetus and it had 

 some prey in its claws which might have been a young hornbill, but in any 

 case the old ones were giving him a very hot time. 



Lophoceros birostris (1062). — The Common Grey Hornbill. 



Fairly common. 



UpUPIDiE. 



Upupa indica (1067). — The Indian Hoopoe. 

 Fairly common. 



