406 Capt. R. C. Beavan on vai'ious Indian Birds. 



achalee, in April, I found a colony in a mango- tope, close to 

 a village, in a tolerably open and cultivated country, in which 

 were several large tanks. Whether they intended to breed 

 there I am unable to say, as I never saw them perch. They 

 are very graceful in their movements on the wing; and the 

 call, as mentioned by Dr. Jerdon, is very like that of a Parrakeet. 

 I expect that two or three species of the Swallows and Swifts, 

 which have been procured before by Col. Tickell in Chota Nag- 

 pore, have hitherto escaped my notice ; but I hope that further 

 research will supply the deficiency. 



109. Caprimulgus ALBONOTATUS. Large Bengal Night-jar. 



Called " Khallpecha" in Maunbhoom, where it is more fre- 

 quently heard at night than seen. The note, as mentioned by 

 Dr. Jerdon, is somewhat like striking a plank with a hammer, 

 only that the sound has generally somewhat of a metallic ring. 

 I have procured the eggs at the end of March or beginning of 

 April ; they are as described by Capt. Hutton. This species 

 appears to be very locally distributed. I have nowhere found 

 it, as mentioned by Col. Tickell, "extremely common in the 

 jungles.^^ Dr. Jerdon^s description of it is somewhat meagre. 

 This bird sits lengthways on the bough of a tree. 



112. Caprimulgus asiaticus. Common Indian Night-jar. 



Abundant in Maunbhoom, where it is called " Kupcha pecha." 

 I have procured the eggs early in April. The bird is not seen 

 in trees ; and I do not think it ever perches. 



114. Caprimulgus monticolus. Franklin's Night-jar. 



Called "Phurruck pecha" in Maunbhoom, where it is exti-emely 

 plentiful in certain localities, apparently replacing C asiaticus, 

 which, again, is common where C. monticolus is rare. This bird 

 may be seen of an evening flying slowly over the jungle, at 

 some height from the ground, uttering its peculiar call of " tzit," 

 " tzit," sounding as if at one moment close by, at another some 

 distance off. Its appearance whilst thus engaged is much like 

 that of a hawk beating over the ground. It also utters this call 

 from the bough of a tree. I found it very plentiful of an even- 

 ing at Kashingur, feeding in the rice-kates, chiefly on Coleoptera. 



