MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. : 531 
were surprised to see a common guail (Coturnix communis, Linn,) Hy past. 
Almost immediately after we first caught sight of it, an owlet swooped down 
upon it, and tried to carry it off. Weran to the place where the pair had 
fallen upon the snow, the quail having proved too heavy for the owlet, 
when the latter flew off, leaving its quarry with but slight remains of life 
in its body. I found upon examination that the neck had been torn 
open at the back, and one eye was damaged, The owlet must have caught 
the quail by the head in one of its feet and driven its claws tome, The 
day was a bright, clear one, and the incident occurred at about 12 o’clock, I 
have seen G. cuculoides catch large crickets, and since late in the afternoon, 
but have never before known it act the part of a hawk, or observed it capture 
a creature on the wing at midday. 
G. C.. DUDGEON, F.ES. 
PaLampur, Pungan, May, 1900. ah 
No. IIL—PTEROMYS INORNATUS. 
lt is worth recording that I came across the large red Flying-Squirrel 
(Pteromys inornatus) on January 2nd, 1900, at 3,000 feet elevation inthe Tons 
Valley. These squirrels are said by Blanford to be found at 6—10,000 feet, 
and are supposed to hibernate in winter. I was making a valuation survey 
on the day mentioned in a chir (Pinus longifolia) forest, and just as one of the 
men proceeded to measure a tree in which there was a hole about 12 feet 
from the ground, out jumped a squirrel. In the hole were some fresh 
chir ‘needles, but whether it had taken them to eat or to sleep on, I was 
unable to determine, 
This occurrence at 3,000 feet shows that, at any 1ate, some of this species 
retire to a lower elevation in winter, and do not hibernate, 
P, H, CLUTTERBUCK, F., Z, 8. 
Deosan, May, 1900. 
No, IV.—NIDIFICATION OF RIMATOR MALACOPTILUS, BLYTH, 
Mins Wee: Masson, of Darjeeling, has been so fortunate as to esones the 
nest and eggs of Rimator malacoptilus, Blyth, the Long-billed Babbler, 
No, 185 of Blanford’s Birds, Fauna of British India. It is recorded only 
from Sikkim and Manipur, and isa very rare species; its nidification has 
not been described. The nest contained three eggs, is the same shape and 
size as that of Rhipidura albicollis, Vieill., the White- throated Fantail Fly- 
catcher, Blanford’s No, 605, and was made entirely of fine grass, without any 
lining ; it was fixed inthe fork of the branch of a shrub,.;"The eggs are 
small, light blue, and without spots. 
LIONEL DE ‘NICEVILLE, ¥, E. S, OM, Z, 8. 
Catcurra, June 5th, 1900, 
