ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM COCOAWATTE ESTATE. 299 



ground near a bush, or under thin lantana scrub. I think there 

 must have been a mistake made in the identification of the eggs 

 sent to Mr. Hume from the Nilghiris and described (" Nests and Eggs," 

 2nd Ed., Vol. Ill, p. 47) as having a " pale creamy-pink ground 

 faintly streaked and mottled over almost their entire surface with the 

 palest possible reddish-brown and purple." I have taken many eggs, 

 and they all agree exactly with Colonel Legge's description : — " Buft 

 ground-colour very sparsely spotted with very dark sepia-brown, 

 rather roundish blots." Sis eggs average 1|^" X If/'. Sannassy 

 declares that he has seen three eggs laid by this bird occasionally. 

 I went with him once to visit a nest which he had found with three 

 small chicks the day before, but though the Nightjar rose from the 

 spot when we approached, something or other had apparently taken 

 the young as there were no signs of them. 



58. Corone macrorhynca, Wagler, the Black Crow. — Very common. 



59. Cissa ornata, Wagler, the Ceylonese Jay. — Fairly common ; 

 most so in the N.-E. monsoon. Keeps in small parties and sticks to 

 heavy jungle. Feeds a good deal on tree-frogs, and is also very partial 

 to the large Sphinx moth caterpillar which infests cinchona trees, to 

 obtain which it ventures out on to estates to some distance from the 

 jungle. A friend told me he had seen its nest in the top of a cinchona 

 tree on Lover's Leap Estate, Newara Eliya, some years ago. 



60. Oriolus melanocephalusj Linn., the Black-headed Oriole.— 

 Common. Took a clutch of three fresh eggs on May 20th. 



61. Graucalus maciij Less., the Large Indian Cuckoo-shrike. — ■ 

 Shot a male on September 25th this year. 



62. Pericrocotus flammeus^ Grray, the Orange Minivet. — Common. 

 I found one nest in December, but it was inaccessible. Called " Flame- 

 bird " in Ceyloj). 



63. Pericrocotus peregrinus^ Linn., the Little Minivet. — Conmion. 

 Its beautiful little nest has been often described before, so I only give 

 the dates on which I procured eggs this year— -April 4th, and May 

 12th, two eggs in each nest. 



64. Lalage syTcesi, Strickl., the Black-headed Cuckoo Shrike. — 

 Fairly common. Took a clutch of two eggs on May 5th, and a single 

 egg on May 26th, and found one or two nests with two young about 

 same date. 



