AND TYPES OF EGGS. 19 



posit them in holes which they cut fort hemselves in trees. They usually 

 select a decayed tree, and the circular orifice pierced, they occupy the 

 natural cavity in the centre of the trunk or bough. 



Cuckoos, (Cuculus, Hierococct/x, Polyphasia, Surniculus, Chry~ 

 sococcyac, Coccystes, Eudynamis). — All these birds are migratory more or 

 less, and parasitic in their habits. They appear for breeding purposes 

 in the spring in the hills, and in the rains in the plains, and lay their eggs 

 in other birds' nests, selecting, according to circumstances, the bird 

 most likely to prove useful in rearing their young for them. One of the 

 hawk cuckoos (H. sparverioides) is said to build its own nest in the Nil- 

 girisj but this requires confirmation. 



Ground cuckoos, (Zandostomus, Centropus, Taceoma). — These 

 birds are somewhat locally distributed ; they chiefly inhabit dense jungle 

 and thickets, and where they occur are permanent residents. They build 

 massive stick nests often domed over, in thick cover, and lay white eggs, 

 rather chalky in texture. 



Spider-hunters, (AracMothera). — These are a Malayan form, 

 only two species extending to India. The nest of the big spider-hunter 

 (J. magna) is a very neat massive deep cup, sewn to a leaf of the plantain 

 tree, and the eggs are deep greyish brown. 



HoneySUCkerS, ((Ethopyga, Leptocoma, Arachnechtkra. )-rOne 

 species, the purple honeysucker (A. asiatica), is spread throughout India. 

 The other species, and there are many, are very local. The greater 

 number confined to the Himalayas. They build a beautiful little pear- 

 shaped hanging nest, with a side entrance, overhung by a fringe, and 

 lay two much speckled eggs. They are partially migratory and frequent 

 warm valleys and jungles. 



Flower-peckers, {Dicmum, PipHsoma, MyzantJie, Packy- 

 glossa). — These birds are generally local and are not migratory. The 

 nest is a beautiful little purse-shaped structure of a delicate felt-like 

 substance hung not by a point but by an edge from a bough. The eggs 

 are white in some species and spotted in others. They afi'ect well-wooded 

 localities, and often keep to the tops of high trees for feeding ; though the 

 nests are as often as not quite low down. The last two genera are only 

 found in the eastern Himalayas. 



Tree-creepers, {CertUa, Salpomis.) — The true tree-creepers 

 (Cerihia) are confined to the Himalayas where they are permanent 

 residents. The nests are high up in trees behind crevices in bark and 



