634 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST, SOCIETY, Vol. XXVII. 



No. XIV.— THE NIDIFICATION OF THE ]\IASKED FINFOOT. 

 {HELI0PAI8 PERSON ATA) 



Perhaps the most important ornithological discovery of recent years in the 

 ladian region is the finding of absolutely authentic nests of this rare bird. The 

 credit of actually finding the first nest is due to Mr. T. Marlow, and several 

 more nests have since been found by him and Mr. H. C. Smith, both of whom are 

 officers of the Forest Department. AH ornithologists will heartily congratulate 

 these two recent recruits to the science on making such an important cliseoveiy 

 in what is practically their first j^ear of serious field work. Before describing 

 the nests and eggs I will give a short accomit of the factors which led to success. 

 The upper reaches of the Rangoon (or Hlaing) River are known locally as the 

 Myitmaka River, a sluggish stream flowing through the plains of the Tharra- 

 waddy District, and in places opening out into big lagoons, the chief of which 

 is the large lake known as the Mindu Li. When the Irrawaddy rises, the 

 flood water covers large areas of the low lying country, and backs up the Myit- 

 maka, the result being a huge swamp, in which the depth of water varies from 

 5 to 15 feet, or even more. Much of the inundated area is under forest growth, 

 consisting of trees, shrubs, and a tangled mass of creepers, and as might be 

 expected, the Finfoot revels in country of this nature. A number of forest 

 officers, including IMessrs. Smith and Marlow, are engaged on the extraction 

 of Government teak timber down the Myitmaka, and during the shooting season 

 have good sport with Whistling and Cotton teal in and aromid the Mindu In : 

 and in June of this year Mr. Smith mentioned to me that in the course of their 

 sport they had shot and eaten several birds which he had identified as the Masked 

 Finfoot ; he said the birds were quite common. On my telling him that they 

 were on the contrary exceedingly rare birds he at once informed the other forest 

 men, and as, fortunately, no other sportsmen visit this delectable spot the shoot- 

 ing of the birds has been stopped. The Forest Department employs large numbers 

 of the local population in the extraction of timber and on river training, and I 

 suggested to Mr. Smith that the employees should be told to keep a keen look- 

 out for nests, as the birds would in all probability breed in the Laha area during 

 July and August, and I described to him Mr. Stuart Baker's reputed nest. There 

 was no difficulty at all about enhsting assistance, as the birds are by no means 

 uncommon in this area, and are well known to the villagers by the name of Ye 

 Balon which translated means the Water Bubbler, the name being due to the 

 bubbling noise made by the birds, which is described as being similar to that 

 made by blowing air through a tube into water, the note being rather high 

 pitched. Some of the men said that they frequently found nests in the rains 

 and ate the eggs which had the flavour of duck eggs. 



I will now quote verbatim Mr. Marlow's interesting account of the finding of 

 the first nests : 



" On July 26th, 1920, a hunter, whom I had employed to find me duck shoot- 

 ing earlier in the year, sent Avord that he had a nest of the Yji Balon at Mindu 

 and that the bird was sitting. The next day I visited the place at about 5-30-p.m. 

 and saw the bird sitting tight on a nest of twigs about 15 inches in diameter 

 placed on a horizontal branch of a " kyi-bin " (Barringtonia) about seven feet, 

 above the level of the water which here was five feet deep. The nest was also 

 supported by creepers which crossed the branch. I had approached to within 

 about 6 feet of the bird, but except that she watched me closely she was not 

 disturbed. As I expected Mr. H. C. Smith to arrive shortly I withdrew quietly 

 and left the bird sitting. At about 6:30 p.m. Mi'. Smith and I approached 

 the nest carefully and fomid the bird still sitting very closely and with her head 

 tucked away into the nest. She raised her head to look at us and did not fly 

 away until IVIr. Smith was only about 3 feet from her. Identification of the 

 bird was confirmed by the legs and general coloration as she flew away. We 



