THE BIRDS OF NORTH CACEAR. 34d 



pointed egg, intensely glossy, and with a very fine close grain. This 

 was taken on the 12th June, 1893, the male bird being shot as he 

 flew away. 



The same month, on the 23rd, I was lucky enough to come across 



another nest, and this time it contained four eggs. These, though not 



so long, are a good deal broader, and measure 1'13"X'88", 1'12"X'87", 



l'H"X*90"and 1-10"X*82". They are quite as pointed as the single 



egg and, though a trifle less glossy, equally hard and close in texture. 



(386) MiCROPTERNUs PHiEocEPs.— The Bengal Rufous Woodpecker. 



Hume, No. 178 ; Blanford, No. 983. 



Common everywhere, up to five thousand feet, but more so below 



two thousand than it is above that height. It keeps a good deal to 



jungle that is partly composed of bamboos, and not being a noisy bird, 



comparatively speaking, is not so often noticed as it would otherwise 



be. This is the species which often makes its nest-hole in the black, 



papier-mache-looking nests of one of the tree ants. I have personally 



only once taken eggs from such a position, but I am sure that I have 



seen over twenty sucb. 



It does not invariably lay its eggs, however, in ants' nests, for I have 

 myself taken them from a hole in a tree. 



Mention has been made of the Woodpeckers and ants living in amity 

 in the same nest, but all those which I have seen occupied by 

 Woodpeckers, were so by them alone, unless the ants were inside 

 the birds, which I consider a highly probable solution of the matter. 

 They do eat these ants, for I have taken them from their stomachs, 

 though I had examined a good many birds before I ascertained that 

 such was the case. 



(387) Brachypternus aurantius.— The Golden-backed Wood- 

 pecker. 

 Hume, No. 180 ; Blanford, No, 986. 

 This is a rare bird in the hills, but less so in the plains of Cachar, 

 though nowhere at all common. 



Hume does not mention this bird in Vol. XI. of " Stray Feathers " 

 (Birds of Manipur, Assam, etc.), but there is a skin in the Museum 

 amongst those of his collection with a label shewing it as havincr been 

 oWined in Cachar, and I may mention here that I noticed it several 

 times in the district of Kamrup in Assam- 



