210 A. C. McMaster — Notes on Central Indian Birds. [No. 3, 



but appears to leave the plains during the hot season and 

 rains ; the first I saw at Kamptee in autumn was on the 14th of 

 October. At Madras I found (February 24th) a hoopoe's nest in a 

 hole in a tree close to the club, there were two fully fledged young 

 birds in the nest, about which there was not the faintest trace of 

 evil stench, (vide page 391 of Jerdon). 



No. 257. Lanius erythronottts. — I have found this bird at 

 Kamptee, and agree with Mr. Blanford, that it varies greatly in 

 size and somewhat in plumage within the same district. 



No. 278. Dicrtjrus macrocercus. — Jerdon says that he has 

 never seen the king crow fix on the back of a hawk with claws 

 and beak. At Rangoon I saw one thus fix itself on a cattle egret 

 feeding on the ground, hit the latter hard on the head with its 

 beak, and repeat the assault several times, the reason apparently 

 being that the other bird had secured some insect on which the 

 king-crow had set his heart. At Kamptee I saw one fix on the 

 back of an owlet {Athene Brama), and maintain its hold while 

 the latter was flying for several yards ; and on another occasion 

 I saw a king-crow pursue the common bee-eater until the latter 

 dropped an insect which was seized by the Drongo before it 

 reached the ground. 



No. 288. Tchitrea paradisi. — This beautiful bird is not rare 

 in the Nagpore country, I have seen it close to Chikalda, 3,700 

 feet. Jerdon says he has not seen it higher than about 2000. 



No. 293. Letjcocerca pectoralis. — Jerdon says that he has 

 only found this bird on the Neilgherries at an elevation of 6000 

 feet. Mr. Blanford got it near Chanda in forests, his specimens 

 were dusky on the back and rather rufous on the abdomen. I got 

 it at Chikalda in May, colours as described by Jerdon. 



No. 300. Ochromela NiGRORUFA. — This has I think been seen 

 by me among the cliffs a few miles west of Chikalda. 



No. 305. Cyornis banyumas. — I got two or three specimens 

 of this fly- catcher at Chikalda in May. 



No. 306. Cyornis Tickelll?e. — Jerdon says that this bird has 

 only as yet been procured in Central India, and by Tickell. Mr. 

 Blanford got one at Seoni, another near Chanda (Asiatic Society's 

 Journal, Vol. xxxviii, p. 173). He seems to think the sexes are 



