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



Fly-catcher, (Tchitrea affinisj ; the Burmese Boiler (Coracias 

 affinis) ; the Burmese Pea-fowl (Pavo muticusj ; and the Burmese 

 variety of the Ked Jungle Fowl ( Gallus ferrugineusj. 



Wide awake as the crow is during the day, she is, when 

 once gone to roost, a most stupid and difficult bird to rouse. I 

 have almost pushed them one by one from their perches, in low 

 trees, very shortly after sunset. 



It is interesting to watch these birds at Eangoon when a storm 

 is coming on. Up to the last moment they appear to be intent on 

 foraging : then, just before the storm bursts, the air is alive with 

 hundreds of them flying in all directions, but each one going di- 

 rect as a bullet to his own tree or clump of bamboos. I have often 

 timed my taking shelter from a shower coming on by watching 

 their movements. 



No. 648. Dendeocitta leucogastea. — Jerdon says that this 

 bird has only been found in some of the jungles of the Malabar 

 coast. I got it at Chikalda in May. 



No. 724. Melophtts melanicteeus. — I got this bird in May 

 at Chikalda in Berar, and as I have seen it in pairs, fancy that it 

 breeds there ; it is a shy bird, always on the move about the edges 

 of cliffs and ravine, and therefore difficult to watch. 



Nos. 772. Ceocopus ph\enicopteeus, and 773, Ceocopus chlo- 

 eigastee. — Green pigeons are now (April and May) breeding at 

 Chikalda. The nest is apparently very carelessly constructed of a 

 few dead twigs placed haphazard at the end of a branch, but from 

 this cause it is exceedingly well concealed, as the bough selected 

 always appears to be a bare one, on which the dry twigs do not 

 attract attention. Both varieties of these pigeons, and their inter- 

 mediate hybrids will probably be found on these hills. (Berar 

 Gazetteer, page 58). 



No. 800, Pteeocles easciatus. — I never remarked the crepus- 

 cular habits of this bird until last August when at Akola, where 

 just after dark on two occasions a small flock passed close over me. 

 I pointed them out to a friend who has since observed the habit. 



No. 802. Pteeocles exustus. — I got the eggs of this bird, 

 three in number, on the 12th of March, at Larkee in the Chanda 

 district. 



