THE BIRDS OF OORAKRPVB. 547 



Phalacrocoracid^. 



Phalacrocorax carho (1526). — The Large Cormorant. 



Common. 



Phalacrocorax javanicus (1528). — The Little Cormorant. 



Common. 



Plotus melanoci aster (1529). — The Indian Darter. 



Fairly common. Eggs taken 16th July 1909. 



Ibidid^, 



Ihis melanocepJiala (1541). — -The White Ibis. 



Scarce. 



Inocotis papillosus (1542). — The Black Ibis. 



Not uncommon in suitable places. 



Plataleid^, 



Platalea leucorodia (1545). — The Spoonbill. 



I have never shot this bird, but on one occasion I saw a small flock of 

 what I am sure were spoonbills. This was in the north-east of the district 

 near the Nepal border. 



ClCONIID^. 



Diisura episcopus (1548).— The White-necked Stork. 



Fairly common. Eggs taken on 1st July 1910. 



Xenoi'hynchus asiaticus ( 1549). — The Black-necked Stork. 



A rare bird in this district. 



lieftoptilw. javanicus (1551). — The Smaller Adjutant. 



In a ''tal" near Nichlaul in the north of the district I saw about 30 of 

 these birds together at one time, otherwise it is not a common bird. One 

 bird I shot had just swallowed two water snakes, each \^ feet long. 



Anastortius oscitans (1653 ). — The Open-bill. 



Not very common. On 16th July 1909 I visited a rookery of these birds 

 in the north of the district in the midst of a fairly large patch of forest. This 

 site was annually resorted to by the birds for breeding purposes. The place 

 was in the middle of a large area of high " retwa " grass, thorny rose bushes, 

 and stunted trees of Evjenia jambolana and Barringtonia acutangula, at this 

 time of year under two or three feet of water. The birds had built 

 their nests over an area of about six acres and within this space nearly 

 every tree contained nests so that I estimated there were about 600 nests 

 altogether. The nests were usually about 25 feet from the ground and 

 were just a rough mass of sticks lined with a few green leaves or small 

 branches with green leaves attached. The birds took little notice of me 

 and one pair actually proceeded to place a leafy branch on its nest only 

 five feet above my head as I sat on the elephant. 



Plotus onelanogaster was also breeding here, but in more limited 

 numbers. There were perhaps some 30 nests of this species which were 

 chiefly placed in some trees apart from the open-bills' nests though a few 

 were placed in the same trees with those of the latter. After I had fired 

 oif my gun the openbills quickly returned and settled all round again, but 

 the snake birds were much more wary and kept circling round high up in 

 the air for half an hour or so before they dared approach the colony again. 

 The snake birds seem very fair flyers and when at a great height come 

 shooting down with half-closed wings like an arrow. They always fly with 

 their necks bent. 

 J6 



