71 
“18th May.—Observed a flock of fifty-nine small White Herons 
in a ploughed field picking up the worms and insects brought out by 
last night’s heavy rain ; several of them were without the fawn-colour 
on the neck, head and breast.”’ 
“8th May, 1849.—Saw five or six of the small White Heron feed- 
ing amongst cattle. They keep close to the animals whilst feeding, 
and I saw one evidently picking the flies off a bullock ; all these had 
more or less of the buff-colour on the neck. It is extremely amusing 
to observe these birds chasing flies, their long neck stretched out as 
they follow every turn and twist of the fly, which is seized imme- 
diately it has settled.”’ 
The Cattle Heron breeds during the month of April, building in 
tall trees. The nest is composed of sticks, and contains four eggs of 
a pale greenish-blue colour, 1,8; in. in length by 1,3; im. in width. 
I obtained eleven eggs from one tree on which there were twenty 
nests. I do not know if it has been satisfactorily determined whe- 
ther both sexes assume the buff head and neck during the breeding 
season. 
Subgenus Nycricorax. 
Arpra Nycticorax. Nicut Heron. 
Is a tolerably common bird in the Upper Deccan, but from its 
habit of roosting during the day in thick lofty trees, which it leaves 
for the streams after dusk, is not often observed. Its harsh grating 
cry is heard in the early dawn as it returns to its hiding-places. I 
made several attempts to obtain its nest and eggs, but without suc- 
cess, neither could I learn its time of breeding ; however, I shot 
a young bird on 3rd December, with some down remaining on its 
head, which circumstance leads me to believe that they do not breed 
at the same time as others of the Heron tribe. Dr. Jerdon says, 
“it breeds on palm and other trees, many nests together.” The 
Night Heron of England, identical I believe with that of India, 
“builds in trees,’’ says Mr. Yarrell, “and lays four pale greenish- 
blue eggs, rather more than 2 in. in length by 13 in. in breadth.” 
Genus PLATALEA. 
PLATALEA LEUCORODIA. WHITE SPOONBILL. 
I have seen flocks of these birds on the river Godavery, and occa- 
sionally on the smaller streams. They breed during the month of 
April, building in tall trees on the border of a stream. I append 
a note on the subject: —“18th April, 1848. Found the White 
Spoonbill breeding in a peepul tree beside a stream. The nest was 
not, like those of the species of Tantalus and Iéis, built on the top 
of the tree, but on the outside branches, about two-thirds from 
the ground ; it was composed of sticks, and appeared small for so 
large a bird. It contained four eggs of a white colour, spotted with 
pale red, of much the same size as those of the Tantalus leucoce- 
phalus.”” The egg is 258; in. in length, by rather more than 15, in. 
