THE BIRDS OF NORTH CACHAR. 347 



from the ground, on the 7th of June, 1888. They were, three of them, 

 very hard set, the fourth being addled. 



They breed principally in early April, a few in May, but very few 

 as late as June. 



Their nest-holes are nearly always placed very low down in the 

 trunks of large trees ; they are close sitters,, and may sometimes be 

 caught on the nest. 



(390) Hemicercus canente. — The Heart-spotted Woodpecker. 

 Hume, No. 165 his ; Blanford, No. 995. 



This is a rare bird in the hill portion of the country, but Mr. Inglis 

 informs me that it is far more common below. 



(391) Hemilophus pulvbrulentulus. — The Great Slaty Wood- 

 pecker. 

 Eume, No. 168 ; Blanford, No. 996. 



Hume did not meet with this bird either in Sylhet or Cachar, and 

 there are no specimens in the British Museum from these localities, 

 still it is not a rare bird up to about 3,000 feet, and it is so noisy and 

 utters its cries so continuously that one is forced to notice it if it is 

 anywhere within half a mile. 



I have only taken, myself, one nest of this bird which contained 

 eggs, and this was placed in a large cotton-tree at an immense height 

 from the ground. It was a matter of two days' labour before the nest 

 was reached, the native having to make a ladder by driving bamboo 

 pegs into the trunk to a height of some 4.0 or 50 feet, after which he 

 got amongst the branches. The nest contained three eggs, and there 

 can be no mistake as to their identity, for the whole time the birds 

 kept visiting the tree, though not coming within sixty or eighty 

 yards of it, screeching at the tops of their voices and palpably in a 

 tremendous state of excitement. Had I not personally superintended 

 the taking of the eggs I should have thought they belonged to some 

 other bird, though to what I could not say. 



In shape they are very broad ovals, very little compressed towards 

 the smaller, end, which is slightly pointed only, the shell is fine and close- 

 grained, but not so glossy as are most eggs of this family, and somehow 

 do not bear the stamp of woodpecker on them at all plainly ; they seem, 

 however, to be the normal type of Qgg^ for one I took from the oviduct 

 of a female was very similar, though slightly longer,. and others brought 



