400 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XlV 



of coming on some Eails' nests. Boih nests were placed on beaten down 

 reeds and consisted of mere platforms of grass and had no great pretensions 

 as works of arts. In the case of the finding of the second nest, the bird 

 fla[)ped up withia a few yards of me, in fact so close that I could almost 

 have knocked her over with a stick. 



The Blue-bkeasted Banded Rail {^Hypokmklia striata). As mentioned 

 above I found a nest of this bird containing 9 beautiful fresh eggs on the 8th 

 September. The bird lay very close and only rose as we were practically step- 

 ping on her. In spite of this we had to search very diligently before we suc- 

 ceeded in discovering the nest. It was well down in some tufts of grass and 

 completely concealed, consisting of dry grais, welded into a compact mass. 

 I always search for a nest of this description with a line of beaters else it 

 would be hopeless. Captain Payn,K, S, L. I,, found a nest in the same locality 

 about a month earlier, but was unfortunate enough to step on the nest and 

 break some of the eggs, 



R. M. BETHAM, Majok, 



8th Bombay Infantry, 

 PooNA, 2Qlh March, 1902. 



No. XIX.—PTEROMIS INORNATUS. 



I am glad to be able to confirm, to some extent, Mr. Clutterbuck's theory, 

 that all the Large Red Flying Squirrels do not hibernate as stated in Vol, XIII, 

 No. 3, page 531 of this Journal. Whilst out on a shooting trip, this February 

 (1902), my coolies caught and brought me one, that had found its way, into a 

 gujar's hut, that morning, which the coolies were at the time occupying. The 

 same morning and just as it was getting light, I saw one fly acr< ss, from one 

 tree to another, quite near the camp and of course this might have been the 

 same one that was soon after caught by my coolies. This was on the 2oth 

 February at an elevation of 10,500 ft. I have seen and caught them, as late 

 as 16th December, at over 10,000 ft. and after brown bears had hibernated 

 that year, and have heard of some being shot in Dharmsala, in the Kangra 

 District, Punjab, during January, 



C. H. DONALD. 

 Bhadaeava, Jummu State, Ibth March, 1902. 



No. XX.— OCCURRENCE OF THE RED-BREASTED MERGANSER 

 {MERGANSER SERRATOR) NEAR QUETTA, 



When shooting yesterday on the tank at Khush-dil-Khan, about 7 miles from 

 Peshin, Captain Macnamara of my regiment shot a specimen of the Red- 

 breasted Merganser (^Merganser serrator). I was one of the party, but was 

 unable to name the bird at the time, never having seen one before. On 

 returning home, by referring to my books, I was able to identify it. I did not 

 sex it, but from the plumage it was evidently a young male. I regret that 



