386 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



was this species, was seen by me on a small pond near 

 Bunhar Factory, Samastipur, in February, 1899. I fired at 

 it, but it was only wounded, and escaped by diving; and, 

 though I had men searching for a long time, they failed to 

 find it. 



Amaurornis phcenicurus,¥enn. (White-breasted Water-hen). — 

 Very common. Found by nearly every piece of water. It is an 

 exceedingly noisy bird, and its loud harsh cry is heard both day 

 and night. In the year 1900 I was stopping at a house, the 

 garden of which was inhabited by a pair of these birds, which 

 kept me awake most of the night by their cries. They breed 

 during July and August, making a nest of rushes, placed, 

 as a rule, near water. They are very pugnacious birds, and 

 I have often seen them fighting furiously with each other ; 

 a pair were so engaged on one occasion, that I approached 

 to within a few yards of them before they were aware of my 

 presence. 



Gallinula chloropus, Linn. (Moorhen). — Common. Breeds 

 in August. 



Porphyrio poliocephalus, Lath. (Purple Moorhen). — Fairly 

 common. It breeds during July and August in marshes and 

 rice-fields. The nest is a huge mass of rushes or rice placed on 

 water. 



Fulica atra, Linn. (Coot). — Very common during winter, and 

 a few remain to breed. 



Grus antig one, Linn. (Sarus Crane). — Occasionally seen during 

 the cold weather. 



G. communis, Linn. (Common Crane). — Once seen near 

 Hattowrie Factory, Darbhanga, in December, 1897. 



Anthropoides virgo, Linn. (Demoiselle Crane). — A not very 

 common cold weather migrant. Often heard at night as they fly 

 to their feeding-grounds. 



Sypheotis bengalensis, Gmel. (Bengal Florican). — I only saw 

 one specimen, which was flushed from some heavy grass jungle. 



(Edicnemus scolopax, Gmel. (Stone-Curlew). — Very common. 

 Breeds, according to Mr. Inglis, in April. 



Esacus recurvirostris, Cuv. (Great Stone-Curlew). — One seen 

 by Mr. Inglis on the banks of the Kamla, and one shot by me 

 at Hattowrie Factory, Darbhanga. 



