THE BIRDS OF NORTH CACHATt. 3G7 



the same day, I place very little reliance oo his assertion that he saw 

 the bird leave the nest. 



These eggs seem to be exactly like the one taken by Mandelli from 

 the oviduct of a female, yet I feel dissatisned with them and am sure 

 they ought to be blue. The notes collected by Hume on the nidifica- 

 tion of these hawk-cuckoos is fearfully conflicting, and I am afraid 

 my notes will only add to the confusion. 



It seems utterly improbable that H. sparveroides, H. nisicolor^ and 

 H. varius should lay different coloured eggs, yet, so far the evidence is, 

 Major Bingham took a blue egg from the oviduct of ^. varius^ Mandelli 

 took one coloured olive-brown from the oviduct of an H, nisicolor^ and 

 Mr. Davison saw H, sparveroides build a nest and lay a white Qgg^ 

 whilst Miss Cockburn is equally positive that she took two nests, but 

 the eggs were white marked with brown. 



(429) HiEROCOCCTx SPARVEROIDES.— The Large Hawk-Cuckoo. 

 Hume, Bo. 207 ; Blanford^ No. 1109. 



Here again my evidence as to eggs is most meagre. I have one egg 

 taken from the nest of a Pellorneum which is supposed to belong to 

 this bird, because a female was shot near the nest. This is of the 

 same type as the last two, but a good deal darker than they and also 

 a more pointed oval. It measures 1*02"X'72" 



(430) (^ACOMANTis MERDLiNUS. — The Rufous-bellied Cuckoo. 

 Jerdon, No. 209 ; Blanford, No. 1113. 

 Hume says that he found the bird very common in Cachar. I have 

 not found it so in North Cachar, but have received a large number 

 from the plains. 



(431) SuKNicuLUS LUGUBRis. — The Drongo Cnckoo. 

 Hume^ No. 210 ; Blanford^ No. 1117. 

 I have seen but three specimens of this handsome little cuckoo, all 

 three shot by Mr. Inglis in 1894 near Silchar itself. 



(432) Chalcococcyx maculatus.— The Emerald Cuckoo. 

 Hume, No. 211 ; Blanford, No. U16. 

 Here at last my evidence on the oology of a cuckoo is fairly complete. 

 I had received other eggs before and on very fair evidence, but at 

 last I was to have some of a sort not very likely to be beaten. A Naf^a 



