226 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XX. 



It was very pretty to see the bird emerge from the water after diving, The 

 great blue wings, seen through the glasses, looked beautiful, with drops of 

 water rolliug off them and sparkling in the light. 



The above is, I consider, a most interesting case. I personally am of opinion 

 that individual birds of whatever species are full of character and individual 

 peculiarities just as much as human beings are. If one is able to observe 

 birds in their wild life, acting naturally as they do when they either 

 do not know they are observed or have no fear of the observer, one sees what 

 very highly intelligent beings they are, how versatile are their moods and how 

 much individual specimens of the same species can and do vary, and I also 

 think they develop habits just as human beings do. 



It is quite possible that very few Rollers develop this habit of diving into 

 water which I observed, and probably this bird was an individual of a 

 bolder nature than the usual run of this species, and was willing to take the 

 risk of a plunge to obtain some prey in the water which had taken his fancy. 



Since my notes were first written, I have been in correspondence with 

 Major Harington on this subject. He informs me that he has never observed 

 a Roller diving, but that he does not see any reason why they should not, as 

 they are related to the king-fishers, which habitually dive ; and some king- 

 fishers, notably Halcyon smyrnensis, the common White-breasted Blue King- 

 fisher, feeds very similarly to the Roller. 



H. DELME RADCLIFFE, Major, 



Bhamo, 8th November 1909. R. W. F. 



No. XXL— SHRIKES' LARDERS. 



Last year in January, when out riding in the early morning, I saw a Grey 

 Shrike (Lanius lahtora) fly into a babul tree with some thing in its beak. On 

 woing over to investigate, the bird flew out and perched in a neighbouring 

 bush. He had nothing in his bill when he flew out. On searching about, I 

 found his larder in the tree ; it was near the top about twelve feet from the 

 ground. In it were four or five locusts neatly impaled on thorns. What I 

 had seen him fly in with was evidently one of these which he managed to 

 impale in the short time, while I was approaching the tree or perhaps had 

 dropped when I frightened him away ; but if so I did not see any sign of it on 

 the ground. The larder could be easily seen from the ground and could have 

 been at once found by a crow alighting in the tree which was quite a small 

 one. The tree was one of two or three in a quite open maidan. 



While I was examining the larder, the Shrike sat in a neighbouring bush 

 and as I rode away I saw it fly back again into the tree. Unfortunately, I had 

 not an opportunity of visiting the place again for some time, but when I did 

 there was no sign of the larder. 



