NOTUS ON THE BIRDS OF UPPER ASSAM. 557 



Rungagora, 11-4-03, d", 2-8-03, d juv., 27-10-03, d juv., 24-1-02*, at 

 roadside. 



Dejoo, 15-4-07, c? ad., 17-4-07, S ad., 21-4-07, 6, $ juv., 27-5-07, S ad., 

 28-11-10, 9, 26-8-10*, corner tree close by bungalow, as silent nowadays 

 as it is noisy at the mating season. 



Dejoo, 24-11-08, on this unnsual date I heard the first few notes of 

 this Cuckoo at early morn and located an adult bird in the Fish-Tail Palm 

 (^Caryota wens, L.) at the entrance to the compound. 



Evidently resident. Only occa.sionally calls at the beginning of July, 

 equally at home during a dry moonlight night, the drenching downpours 

 of the blackest night or midday, heat nothing seems to damp its ardour as it 

 pours forth its monotonous notes, which fall in the scale with the preci- 

 sion of tonic solfa modulations. 



S adult. Iris Venetian red ; sometimes with a whitish outer ring ; 

 orbital skin yellowish-dusky or lobster red ; gape and inside mouth salmon 

 red or lobster red ; bill blackish-dusky horn, base of lower mandible 

 reddish ; tarsus yellowish-ochreous ; claws horny black. $ immature. Iris 

 dull brown ; bill dark horny with a blotch of dusky on lower mandible ; 

 tarsus dull yellow ; claws black horny. 



301. Penthoceryx sonneratii (Lath.) [1114]. — The Banded Bay Cuckoo, 

 Dejoo, North Lakhimpur, a series secured as follows : — 27-8-08, S ad. ; 



.20-8-08, ad. ; 26-8-OS, $ ; 13-9-07, $ juv. 5 juv.; 6-9-08, ad. observed ; 

 21-8-08, adult. 



Dejoo, 1908, this Cuckoo has somehow replaced C. merulinus this 

 season, numerous young birds in immature dress in evidence, whereas last 

 season the former bird was the most plentiful. No further data to report. 

 I fail to account for this most unusual appearance, making due allowance 

 for the bird having been overlooked although a look out was kept in future 

 years no more evidence came to hand. 



302. Clirysococcyx maculatus (Gm.) [11161,— The Violet Cuckoo. 



Dejoo, North Lakhimpur, first secured, 4-6-04, S ; 20-4-07, two pairs, 

 one male secured ; 26-7-07, $ *, in Poma tree near Rungagora lines. 



Silonibari, 17-9-11, 5 *> which I failed to secure, its rosy headfirst attract- 

 ed my notice, also its method of feeding, evidently occupied demolishing 

 a larva or some grub. 



S, 4-6-04. Iris red-brown; orbital skin red ; bill orange yellow at base 

 and gape red, tip dusky ; tarsi olivaceous purple. 



S, 20-4-07. Iris red brown; orbital skin and gape waxy red; bill 

 yellow, tip dusky ; tarsi olive green, stomach contained remains of 

 Coleoptera sp. ? These Cuckoos kept up a sweet twittering in the overhang- 

 ing trees along trolley line and were exceedingly tame, 



303. Surniculus luguhris dicvuroides (Horsf.) [1117]. — Drongo Cuckoo 



Surniculus luguhris, Blanford, F. B. I., Vol. iii., p. 223. 



Dejoo, North Lakhimpur, 20-4-03, S , secured in dense evergreen forest 

 foot of hills, almost impenetrable undergrowth. 



Dejoo, 15-4-07, S ; 16-6-04, $ $ ; 26-3-10, noted for the first time call- 

 ing this year, heard again a few days later ; Bipuria, 10-4-11, in some 

 numbers along the road to North Lakhimpur. 



Silonibari, 17-9-11, still in evidence, I shot one of a pair although failed 

 to secure it as a mass of creepers a great height up the trunk of the tree 

 prevented it falling to the ground, silent at this time of the year. Its call 

 resembles the .syllables whistled as "phew" "phew" "phuit" in an ascend- 

 ant scale. 



Iris brown ; bill black ; tarsus plumbeous ; soles similar pale plumbeous. 



