MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 853 



In November they begin to move down the hills and in January and 

 February they may frequently be seen in fairly large flocks of from 10 to 

 20 or more birds in the plains at the foot of the Himalaya. This is 

 especially the case in Dehra Dun and eastwards through Bijnor as far as 

 Pilibhit. I have no personal knowledge of the plains below Darjeeling, but 

 it is very probable that the Darjeeling birds winter down below like their 

 North- Western brethren. 



B. B. OSMASTON. 

 Camp, Dehra Dttn, 10th November 1910. 



No. VIII.— ROLLER CATCHING ITS PREY IN THE WATER. 



In reference to a note by your correspondent Major H. Delme Radcliffe 

 on the " Roller catching its prey in the Water " ( vide p. 225, Vol. XX, 

 No. 1 ), I would draw attention to a note by myself in the " Field " for 1901 

 where, as I said, " I saw a roller ( Coracias indica) hover over the water like 

 a kingfisher. It then plunged headlong in where it remained for a few 

 seconds and then flew off. " This occurred in Tirhoot, Bengal. Again, in 

 my little book ' Familiar Indian Birds,' page 17, referring to this I put forth 

 the following theory : — " The roller is very kingfisher-like in many of its 

 ways, and might not this taste for water have been inherited by a bird 

 whose ancestors descended from kingfisher-like birds ? " 



GORDON DALGLIESH. 



Midhtjrst, Sussex, 10th August 1910. 



No. IX.— AN ALBINO HOOPOE (UPUPA INDICA). 



About the middle of last July, whilst out riding in the vicinity of 

 Ambala Race Course, I noticed a strange looking white bird in the distance. 

 On closer inspection it turned out to be an albino Indian Hoopoe. It was 

 in company with three other ordinary coloured Indian Hoopoes, two of 

 which, along with the white one, appeared to be this year birds, whilst the 

 remaining one was probably the parent bird. 



On returning with a gun on the following day, I had no difficulty in 

 finding the specimen in identically the same place and conditions, and 

 in procuring it. 



I now send the skin for the Society's Museum. It appears to be an 

 exceptionally complete albino, with pink eyes and even its bill, tarsus and 

 feet are devoid of colour. 



Although the Indian Hoopoe is a common enough bird, I have never 

 noticed, or heard of, any trace of albinism occurring amongst them ; and 

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