MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 487 



No. III.— THE SPORS OF THE RED SPURFOWL. 



I notice that both Hume and Jerdon mention three as the largest number 

 of spurs on the leg of the Red Spurfowl (Galloperdix spadiceus), but I have 

 just obtained a specimen which has four on one leg and two on the other. 

 I have kept the two legs in case they should be wanted. 



C. F. SBARPE, 



General. 

 Cc-ONOOR, 6th January, 1895. 



No. IV— THE SOUTHERN INDIAN HARRIER EAGLE. 



On the 3rd January last I had the pleasure of taking a nest of the Southern 

 Indian Harrier Eagle, 39 bis, Spilomis melanotis. The only record of this bird's 

 nidification is in a paper by Mr. Vidal on the Birds of the South Concan, so a 

 few notes may be worth recording. I have taken four nests of this Eagle, 

 two having 2 eggs in each, and the other two a single young one in each. The 

 other three nests were taken in March, and I succeeded in rearing the young one 

 till he was full grown when he left me for pastures new. 



The nest taken in January was on the fork of a high Vengai tree (Ptero- 

 carpus marsupiuni) and unfortunately had a young one. I brought it home and 

 it thrived well on raw meat and was getting its plumage, when one day last 

 week it died in a fit vomitting all its food. 



I had great difficulty in getting a Malayali to climb the tree, for the parent 

 bird repeatedly attacked him and on one occasion clawed his back. 



It darted once or twice at me and I had to wave my hat to keep it off. I 

 fired in the air, not caring to shoot the bird, but this had no effect, for it came 

 several times at the man on the tree, and it was only after a great deal of shout- 

 ing that we were able to bring home the young eagle. 



Wm. MAHON DALY. 



Yercaud, 2£th February, 1895. 



No. V— PERIODICAL FLOWERING OF STROBILANTHES 

 KUNTEIANUS. 



I notice an article on page 417, vol. v, by Mr. J. F- Duthie, on the flower- 

 ing of certain species of Strobilanthes. 



It may be of some interest to record the flowering of our commonest shrub 

 {StroUlantlies kunihianus) in August, 1884, and the plants have never been in 

 flower since, clearly proving that it takes more than 8 or 9 years as noticed. 



The natives here call it " Kuranjal " and say that it flowers once in 17 years. 



The seed is readily eaten by jungle fowl, and was in many cases collected to 

 feed poultry on. 



The hills looked very beautiful and had quite a purple tinge where the 

 shrub was in flower. 



Wm. MAHON DALY. 



Yercaud, Shevaroy Hills, 28(/i February, 1895. 



