392 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORt SOCIETY, Vol. XlV. 



No, XIII.— THE MASKED FIN-FOOT [^HELIOPAIS PERSON ATA). 

 I have just received from Mr. Primrose a male specimen of this rare bird. 

 It was shot by Mr. Eoss at Monierkhall in Cachar and the skin was given by 

 him to Mr. Primrose, who has very kindly passed it on to me. Mr, "Haker in 

 his " Birds of Cachar " says he has not come across it, so I think this occur- 

 rence deserves notice. 



Baghownie Factory, CHAS. M. INGLIS. 



Dakbhanga, 19i7i Fehruary, 1902. 



No. XIV.— NESTING OF THE COOT {FULICA ATRA). 



(1.) 

 Major E, M. Betham in a note in this Journal says: — "and should like to 

 know whether any other ornithologists have found this bird breeding in India 

 excluding Cashmere." I got a nest with six highly incubated eggs in some 

 water at Belahi Factory in the Mozuiferpore District on the 30th July 1896' 

 I was only able to save two of the eggs and they are very disreputable speci- 

 mens, Mr. Harrington Bulkley, however, has very kindly given me 3 eggs, 

 which he collected last August. 



Baghownie Factoey, CHAS. M. INGLIS, 



bth March, 1902. 



C2.) 



As I do not think tither Messrs, Baker or Inglis mention the occurrence 

 of the common Coot {Fulica atra) in their respective articles the " Birds of 

 North Cachar," and " Bird^s collected in the Hylakandy District " I think it 

 perhaps worth noting that I came across it on two or three occasions in the 

 Chutla bheel ; and have had a specimen, shot here, brought me by my collec- 

 tor a few days back — this was a female, with eggs well defined. This will 

 I think, show that it occurs, perhaps sparingly, both in Cachar and Sylhet. 



A. M. PillMROSE, 

 Chandpur Bagan, p. 0., 



South Sylhet, 29<^ Blarch, 1902. 



(3.) 



Major Betham in his notes on the nesting of the Coot near Poona asks 

 for information as to its breeding in other parts of India. I am um^er the 

 impression that it breeds freely in most parts of the Madras Presidency. I 

 have found nests in several places in the Cuddapah District. In 1892 I found 

 a nest in a small tank near the town of Cuddapah on the 30th of September, 

 It contained three eggs, hard set. On the 30th of October of the same 

 year I found several nests in a small, reedy tank at Occhaveli, contain- 

 in^ fresh eggs. There are evidently two broods, for I have seen a clutch 

 of young birds following their parents on a tank early in April. I was 

 particularly interested in the sight, for a couple of Brahminy kites that 

 were sailinf* overhead made repeated, but ineffectual, attempts to carry off 

 the chicks. Again and again they swooped down to the water, but the little 



