

1871.] A. C. McMaster — Notes on Central Indian Birds. 213 



No. 604. Agrodroma sordida. — I found the nest of this bird 

 near Kamptee in April in a hole in black cotton soil, there were 

 three or perhaps four young in the nest. 



No. 645. Partjs cinereus. — I think I saw this bird on the 

 Ghat between Ellichpoor and Chikalda, at an elevation of nearly 

 3000 feet. 



No. 648. Machlolophus Jerdoni. — Chikalda, April and May. 



No. 660. CoRVUS CULMINATUS. 



No. 663. Corvus splendens. — The local distribution of these 

 birds puzzles me sadly. Both abound at Bangalore and Madras, 

 while culminatus is the only crow of the Neilgherries, replacing 

 his grey cousin at Kullar, the posting-stage at the foot of the 

 Kunur Ghat to which place and no further splendens had pene- 

 trated in 1870. I could not find culminatus at Waltair, and during 

 two years at Kamptee have never seen it in that station, but have 

 occasionally found it at some of our hog-hunting meets in the 

 Wurda district and at Akola. It was moreover the only crow on 

 the Chikalda hills during April and May : with the first rains, how- 

 ever, in June, splendens appeared there; (Berar Gazetteer, page 58). 



Is culminatus to be found at Bombay ? 



Common and familiar as crows are — living almost as much in houses 

 as near them — the act of coition has never — so say the natives of 

 Burma and, I believe, of many parts of India — been observed ; 

 and, certainly, for more than twenty years, since first hearing the 

 statement, I have carefully watched for an opportunity of refuting 

 it without success. Just at dawn, I think, I have twice observed crows 

 thus engaged and on the nest ; but I am not certain, and I have 

 never met any one who could own to having seen even as much. 

 I have not a copy of the book, so quote from memory, but, in 

 the "Laws of Menu," (the origin of Bhudhist and Hindu 

 notions) it is set forth that " a good wife should be like a crow," 

 i. e,, that she should not allow any conjugal endearments or fami- 

 liarities before spectators. 



The Burmese representatives of splendens are much darker than 

 those in India, but an excellent naturalist remarks that such is 

 the case with the Burmese varieties of many birds found in both 

 countries ; for instance, I can think of the Burmese Paradise 



