MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 629 



nothing as yet of the migration of the bird but 1 think, as the winters on these 

 mountains are severe, and the snowfall very heavy, that it must migrate to some 

 more suitable climate for food and shelter. 



With regard to the locality in which I have met with the Himalayan Nut- 

 cracker, I have seen several and shot the specimen I have sent to the Society, on 

 the top of the mountam range on the left bank of the river Beas where it 

 passes through the upper Kullu valley. 



With the stuffed specimen, I send six wild walnuts perforated on both sides. 

 These nuts furnish a good example of the great power with which the Nut- 

 cracker uses its bill and of the regularity of its work. 



W. OSBORN, Lt.-General, i.s.c. 

 Kullu, Kangra District, Punjab, 

 July 27th, 1902. 



iVo^e.— Prior to General Osborn's notes printed above, little or nothing 

 appears to have been recorded of the habits and food of either this species or 

 M. multipunctata which is also an inhabitant of the Himalayan Range. But 

 not only for this reason are the present notes interesting, but they also afford 

 direct and actual proof that the birds of this genus do fulfil in practise the 

 powers that have been implied to them from time immemorial in their popular 

 name of Nutorackers as well as in theii- generic designation. Considerably 

 more has of course been known and recorded of the third species of the genus 

 N. caryocatactes, which occurs at times in considerable numbers in most parts 

 of Europe, than of its Himalayan cousins. This species has been found to be 

 almost omnivorous like most members of the crow family, for besides its 

 favourite food, consisting of the seeds of the Siberian Cedar, it is known to 

 eat Caterpillars, Wasps and insects of various sorts and scraps from the 

 kitchen, and is generally believed to feed also on acorns, berries, nuts and 

 even on land-shells, but its power of picking nuts has never been previously 

 proved and has even been questioned. That it does possess the power of doing 

 so most effectually is now established beyond question. 



E. COMBER, 



{^Honorary Secretary, Bird Section, 



Bombay Natural History Society). 

 September 1902, 



No. XXXVI.- FOOD OF THE KING COBRA. 

 I have just received a very interesting note from Mr. V. H. Hoogwerf, 

 Inspector of the Fait Department at Diggi, near Castle Rock, on the Goa Fron- 

 tier, to whom the Society owes the live King Cobra at present in the rooms. In 

 the same region Mr. Hoogwerf lately fell in with another King Cobra, 12 feet 

 1 mch in length, in the act of swallowing a huge snake, winch, from his account 

 could be. nothing else than a Python. When Mr. Hoogwerf arrived on the scene 

 the natives said that the two had been struggling together, for an hour. The 



