MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. I45 



The Brahminy Kite {Haliastur indus) is fairly common on the river here 

 but seems to withdraw itself for nesting. This year, however, I found a' 

 nest building in a mango tope about half mile from the river. I noticed the 

 birds hanging about the tope in December, though I did not get the &gg till 

 the 25th February. This particular pair only laid one egg, but as a rule, two 

 is the complement. I obtained another nest containing two fresh eggs on the 

 22ud J'ebruary, which was built on a bare mango tree on the banks of the 

 Mina, north ot" Poona. The nest rather resembles a crow's nest, being much 

 smaller and more compact than that of the common kite. From observing the 

 habits of this bird the female seems to sit on the nest before the eggs are laid. 

 The Indian Barn Owl ( Strix javanica), I believe, is fairly plentiful 

 round Poona but escapes observation owing to its nocturnal habits audits 

 retiring down old and disused wells, during the day, I have not had 

 luck this year but hope to obtain several clutches next, as I found nests 

 with young and believe this species invariably breeds year after year in 

 the same place. On the 25th November, two eggs were found, so I left them 

 in the hope that I might get more, but unfortunately something or some- 

 body took them and I had to do without. On the 30th December, I explored 

 two more wells only to find half-grown young. 



The Brown Fish Owl (Ketitpa ceylonensis).— "While nesting on the Banks of 

 the Mina, north of Poona, a large nest was observed about 40 feet up a large 

 Banyan tree : judging by the site, I thought it was an old nest of the White 

 Scavenger Vulture. On throwing up stones, one lodged in the nest v, hen a 

 large owl flew off. A boy was sent up, who reported one egg. I left this 

 and returned three days .later. On this occasion the bird had to be roused 

 off the nest by the boy and as there was still only one egg I took it. It was 

 hard set but I cleaned it by the ^water process. Thia was on the 22nd 

 February. The village near which I was encamped was surrounded by 

 mango topes and I heard and saw several owls. As 1 was not sure of the 

 species I am sorry t J say I shot the owl ; she was in bad condition so far as 

 feathers were concerned but was very fat. Immediately on leaving the nobt 

 she was beset by crows, who mobbed her unmercifully, tweaking her feathers 

 and pecking her and they were so thick about her that one was knocked over 

 by the shot which killed her. 



The Spotted Owlet {Carine brama) is very common about here. I fancy 

 they nest in any convenient place. I have obtained several clutches of eggs 

 this year, which I have found in holes in trees, usually in mango topes. 

 Nearly every tope near here has its spotted owlets, which are seen to flit away 

 fron holes in the trees on one's approach : these holes if examined from the 

 middlo of January to March, will usually be found to contain eggs. 



E. M. BETHAM, Major, 

 8th Bombay Infantry. 



Poona, 31s< March,l^Q\, 

 19 



