1869.] of Central, Western and Southern India. 187 



722. Euspizalllteola, Sparrman. Very common about Nag- 

 pur, less so further south. The female is dull coloured, like that of 

 E. melanocephala. 



711. Passer (Gymnoris) flavicollis, Franklin About 



small villages in the jungle this species very often entirely replaces the 

 common sparrow, but it is also found in the wildest jungles far from 

 any human habitation. I entirely fail to see any good grounds for 

 its separation as a distinct genus from Passer. 



Family Corvid^. 

 660. CorvUS CUlminatUS, Sykes. This bird is said fre- 

 quently to point out where tigers and leopards are lying by perching 

 on the trees over them, and cawing. I have never seen an instance 

 myself, except when the tiger has killed an animal, and the crows are 

 attracted by the carrion. The birds are, however, very watchful and 

 often perch above men ; and I have been annoyed by them when trying 

 to shoot birds, so they may very possibly follow tigers at times, 

 somewhat as the Preslytis monkeys do. 



Order GEMITORES. 

 Family Treronid^:. 



772. Crocopus phoenicopterus, Lath. 



773. C. chlorigaster, Biyth. 



Birds shot at Nagpur were perfectly intermediate between these 

 two races ; one has the green forehead and the green of the tail of 

 C. phoenicopterus, another the green forehead only and both have the 

 yellowish green belly of chlorigaster. There are also intermediate 

 forms, killed by Captain Beavan in Manbhtim, in the Indian Museum. 

 Birds procured at Chanda were pure chlorigaster. 



I am inclined to look upon Br. Jerdon as right in considering all 

 these intermediate forms as fertile hybrids ; they are always found 

 where the two races meet, and where the two differ so little as in the 

 green pigeons, the rollers and Kallij pheasants, they doubtless breed 

 together freely. 



I found the nest and two very young birds of Crocopus chlorigaster 

 near Sironcha on May 11th. The nest was exceedingly small, a little 

 platform, of sticks very loosely put together on the branch of a per- 

 fectly bare tree. 



