THE BIRDS OF NORTH CACHAR. 851 



where I have watched them tapping, I have totally failed to find any 

 insects. Its flight is quite a typical woodpecker's flight, faster than 

 most, proportionately, and also less dipping. It does not appear to 

 be common either in the plains or at the foot of the hills. Both 

 Mr. Hole and Mr. Inglis, who have favoured me with a list of the 

 PicidcB they have met with, report this bird as being rare. 

 (394) Iyux toequilla. — The Wryneck. 

 Hume, No. 188 ; Blanford, No. 1003. 



A rare bird. I have seen perhaps a dozen in the eight years I have 

 been in Cacharj and have only seen one skin from the plains. 



Family Capitonidm. 



(395) Megal^ma marshallokum.— The Great Indian Barbet. 



Hume, No. 191 j Blanford, No. 1GU6. 



This is not a common bird here, far less so than it is in Manipur, 

 where Hume says he went after it at least fifty times* I do not 

 suppose I have heard fifty since I came here, and that is now over 

 eight years ago. Its note cannot be better syllablized than it is by 

 Hume, who makes it *' pee-yu, pee-yu." The first note is long drawn 

 out, but the second only slightly so. 



I have been lucky in finding its nest-hole, but unlucky in finding 

 eggs ; three times only have I taken such, and these always hard set^ 

 though I have found, or been shown, at least a dozen holes with 

 young in them. 



I have only notes regarding the measurements of three eggs which 

 were taken on the 25th of Mayj 1888, at Gunjong. These measure 

 l'46"X-96", 1-45"X 1-00" and l-42"X-90". 



The nest was in a tree on the summit of a hill quite near my 

 bungalow, but, though I knew the birds were breeding somewhere 

 near and I hunted hard for the nest^ I for a long time failed to find it ; 

 twice I thought I had watched one of the old bird's home, and twice 

 the bird flew from the opposite side of the tree, about ten feet up 

 it, as I approached, still I could not make out any nest-hole. The 

 third time, however, I came up with the greatest care, and when 

 within a dozen feet of it, the bird flew off, not from above, as it had 

 always done before, but from about two feet from the roots ; and 

 looking here I found the hole just under a bough, which bent over and 

 concealed it. 



