THE BIRDS OF CACHAR, 569 
small end is quite smooth and polished. There is no gloss, and the 
texture is slightly chalky. It measures 1°08"%'73", and is a more 
pointed eval than are most Swifts’ eggs. 
(470) MERops PHILIPPINUS. 
A very large flock of these birds visited Haflang in the cold 
weather of 1897-98, and stayed for some days. They are common 
in the plains of Cachar, breeding everywhere. In 1899 large flocks 
again visited the Hills in October and November. 
(474) PrrtoLamus (ANORRHINUS) AUSTENI. 
A young bird, chot by the late Mr. M. G Peddie, which is now in 
my collection, has the whole head rufescent, the feathers being broadly 
margined with this colour, whilst the scapulars, feathers of the back, 
and smaller wing-coverts are all faintly edged darker. This bird isa 
young female, and has the quills all white tipped as in the male—in 
fact, the bird, if adult, would appear to be exactly like the male instead 
of differing from it, as does the female of P. tickelii, Mr. Peddie’s 
experience with these birds was very much the same as Hartert’s. He 
came across a large flock associating witha flock of Anthracoceros 
albirostris. He shot two of the former and one of the latter, this in 
mistake, and leaving them where they fell, followed up the flock 
again. He eventually got a third Pédlolemus, the one now in my 
possession, but failed to find any of the other birds on his return 
journey. On no other occasion did he ever meet with this hornbill 
himself, although on one occasion he had two old birds, two young 
ones, and two eggs brought in to him by natives, On his bird are the 
following remarks ticketed: ‘ Bill and inside of mouth dirty yellow ; 
orbital skin light yellow ; irides dull brown ; legs horny green; soles 
dirty yellow ; claws dusky black.” 
The colours all agree with those of my bird except the irides, which 
are in my specimen a rich red-brown. 
(499) GLAUCIDIUM BRODIEI. 
I have recently obtained a rufous specimen of this little owl. The 
brown is all much tinged with rufous, and all the usual white markings 
are replaced by pale rufous, 
I shot one in the act of eating a young male Pericrocotus 
spectosus, the marks on which shewed that the owl must have killed it 
itself, 
