THE BIRDS OF NORTH CACHAR. 563 



feegun to clear his throat or the myna to sing Lis morning comic song 

 the bee-eater is up and uttering bis shrill, musical trill as he sweeps 

 round in graceful circles after his game. They almost invariably 

 hunt in flocks, though these may be widely scattered, but I have once 

 or twice seen a pair of these birds with no others near them. They 

 always perch fairly high up, unless feeding over water, and they take 

 constant short flights, either sailing round in circles with wings out- 

 spread or hastily following some winged article of food. When they 

 are feeding over a stream or other piece of water, they frequently rest 

 at intervals on the ekra or long grasses which grow beside it, and 

 thence, sweeping low over the water, they capture the gnats and other 

 insects which hover about just over the surface. They drink whilst 

 on the wing by stooping down in the way swallows do, but they make 

 far more fuss over the operation than do the latter birds. 



I once saw several of these birds constantly swooping down to a piece 

 of shallow, stagnant water left by the drying up of a stream, I could 

 find no fish fry or other objects in the water, and I think they must 

 have been feeding on the larvae and eggs of mosquitoes, &c., which 

 floated about in small patches on the top. I had no gun with me at the 

 time, so I could not shoot any in order to examine the stomachs. 



I have known this bird to capture and devour the large blue dragon- 

 fly — a feat which shows it to be capable of great speed and activity on 

 the wing. 



It is by no means a shy bird, and I have once shot four birds and 

 missed two others from the same flock before it finally went away. 



It is found up to the highest altitudes, but is not common above 

 4,000 feet, and does not breed here above 2,500 feet, more on account 

 probably of a want of suitable places than for any other reason. 

 Order — Bucerotides. 

 Family Bucerotidce. 

 (472) DiscHOCEROS BicouNis. — The Great Pied Hornbill. 

 Hume J JVo. 140 and 140 Bis. 



Common in the hills and plains alike. 

 (473) Anthrococeros albirostris. — The Small Pied Hornbill. 

 Hume, Cat., No. 142. 



Very common. They go about in flocks sometimes numbering 

 over twenty. 



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