THE BIRDS OP NORTH CACHAR, £41 



This egg is the oi^ly one I have which is really authentic, and 

 unfortunately it is an abnormally shaped one, being a broad oval 

 decidedly compressed towards one end. 



In measurement it is l'35"xl"ll". 



I have twice had eggs brought to me said to have been laid by 

 this birdj but in neither case was either of the parent-birds caught. 



On both occasions four eggs were brought, shoAving slight signs of 

 incubation, one clutch being made over to me in the early part of May 

 and the other late in April. 



The eggs, however, had been taken some days previously to being 

 brought to me, and wore most likely laid some time during the first 

 fortnight in April. 



The eight eggs averaged I'SS" X 1'26" and are not to be distinguished 

 from some large eggs of Halcyon smyrnensis. It is not a common 

 bird here, and as yet I have seldom seen it elsewhere than on two or 

 three of the principal streams in these hills. It never seems to haunt 

 the smaller streams and nullahs, but I have on several occasions 

 observed it seated on some high tree, well away from any water, and 

 whilst thus perched, it is rather fond of trying to emulate the white- 

 breasted kingfisher in the way it gives vent to its discordant cries. 

 Discordant, however, though they be, I do not think the latter bird 

 need fear competition, being facile princeps in making disagreeable 

 noises both as regards their quantity and q^iality. 



Fish is probably the staple diet of this bird, but it by no means 

 confines itself to such, varying it often with small lizards, crabs, 

 prawns and anything almost which is not too large for it to tackle in 

 comfort and safety. It is on record that this bird indulges a vicious 

 propensity for robbing the nests of other and smaller birds, the 

 contents of which it devours. To one of these burglarous and 

 cannibalistic raids I was a witness in 1885 when living in Rungpur. 

 In this place there are or were in the Collector's compound many 

 fine but aged trees full of holes and crevices affording a very 

 favourite nesting place for many birds. Amongst these a pair of mynas 

 {Acridotlieres tristis) had selected a large hollow in a big limb of one 

 of the largest trees some forty feet from the ground. At the time of 

 which I am writing the young birds were a few days old, and I had 

 seen the old bii-ds feeding them as I daily passed the tree on my way 



