MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 309 



a party always assembled on a tree not a hundred yards off my tent and 

 brayed by the hour. These were all grass-widowers, their wives being pro- 

 bably all safely walled up in their nests. This party was very conversational, 

 and seemed to have a great deal to talk about, chiefly scandal I fancy, for now 

 and again a couple would quarrel and go for each other open-mouthed. This 

 was, no doubt, when aspersions were cast one by the other on their respective 

 ladies. 



At that time I managed to find only a single nest, but the year after in the 

 Thaungyi valley I found several, and got together a fine series of the eggs 

 The following note of mine on these nests is recorded in Hume's " Nests and 

 Eggs of Indian Birds" : — 



Of the eight nests visited and eggs obtained, four contained two eggs each, and four one 

 each. These were laid in natural hollows in various trees, and two in immense Ficus 

 encircled old teak trees. The height of the nest-hole from tho ground varied from 25 to 70 

 feet, and the trees selected were invariably close to some Ficus in fruit. 



To five of the nests I ascended myself, and found the opening much narrowed in every 

 one with a plastering of earth leaf-mould and the birds' own droppings ; the stench of 

 decaying vegetable matter in one or .two of the nests was quite unbearable ; altogether the 

 insides of the nest and the old hens themselves presented a filthy sight, but these latter were 

 all able to fly when released and did not seem a bit cramped. The way, though, they hissed 

 and quacked and fought for their eggs, was a caution. My arms were black and blue from 

 their ferocious digs and bites. In a few cases the males came and looked on, but took 

 no part in the right, not even to the uttering of a croak in encouragement to their mates. 



The colour of the eggs varies, but depends, I think, more on the nature of the wood 

 of the tree chosen for the nest and the material used in plastering which, by the way, 

 is well laid on inside as well as round the openings of the hollow, than upon the length 

 of times the eggs have been laid; for two eggs out of the lot I procured had the chick 

 almost ready to break through, and are yet only of a dull white, but slightly stained ; 

 while again, two other eggs are the colour of iron-rust all over,* and these, though 

 undoubtedly hard set, wero still easily cleaned, but they were taken out of a Thingan tree, 

 the wood of which gives off a rusty stain. 

 All the eggs, except one, have a perceptible gloss. 



The exceptional non-glossy egg is rough, almost like sand-paper, to the touch. All are 

 very finely pitted over their whole surface, and some have little raised tubercles or bumps, 

 chiefly in a zone round the centre. In shape some are long and narrow and much pointed 

 at one end, some short globular. The largest eggs were those found singly, and of these 

 one measured 2"75" by 1"98" ; the smallest taken measured 2'40" by 1*93", but the average 

 of twelve eggs is 2'62" by 1'88". It is remarkable that even the chick in the eggs has 

 a well-marked protuberance above the upper mandible — the rudiment, it would seem, of the 

 future casque. 



The one absolute outward distinguishing mark between the male and 

 female bird is the colour of the eyes. In the male this is blood-red ; in the 

 female pearly-wbite. According to my experience, D. bicornis affects heavy 

 forests as a rule, but I have noticed it occasionally in thin jungle where 

 Ficus trees in fruit occur. Mr. Blanford notes that " it appears never to 

 descend to the ground." I have, however, more than once flushed a party 



