no 
Birds of the Jhelum District. 
were also identified . Ruddy Sheldrakes were very numerous 
in pairs, and in Hocks. With one lot of the Sheldrakes 
were a few Bar-head Geese {AnSLr irtdkus). A gasg'e of 
somp. fifteen Geese came flying up the river over my boat, 
.luij I dru])]K'd one to find it a Grej- Lag (Ansir firu.s). 
I'allas Fishing Eagh' (Hal iarl us Icucocori/jihii'^ ) was very 
;nueh in evidence, two or three pairs being met with. One 
came and looked at but did not touch a MaLard Diake that 
1 had dropped into the water, and another stooped one:' or 
twice at a wounded Teal, which escaped by diving. ■ 
Sand Martins (probably Colte riparia dilula) had 
started to excavate their nesting burrows in the high bank of 
one of the islands, and near by were three holes that 
evidently belonged to a pai. of Pied Kingfishers (Ccrylc varia) 
who were sitting on the stones the other side of a water 
channel and taking great interest in my movements. One 
hole was probably used as a sleeping place for t..he male, 
as there were a number of droppings some way from the 
entrance. The actual nest tunnel was about two-and-a- 
half feet long, inclining slightly to the left. The egg 
chamber was large and littered with fish bones and scales, 
on which were lying the six eggs, varying from fresh to 
slightly incubated. It is a curious fact that this species 
generally seems to excavate three holes fairly close to one 
another, all much of the same depth. Is there any idea of 
protection in it ? — the hope that an enemy may choose the 
wrong hole ? 
Two very large flights of Larks were noted flying low 
up the river ; as they passed I dropped an Individual' 
from the second flight, and as it fell its companions settled 
in close order at once by it ; but not securing the bird 
I failed to identify the species — however they looked like 
the Indian Skylark {Alai<da guJgula). 
Lapwings, Greenshanks, Eedshanks, Stints, and Common 
Sandpipers fairly numerous about the sandbanks . A Rock 
Horned Owl {Bubo bengalensis) was flushed from under 
a tamarisk bush on an island. A Great White Heron and a 
Common Heron seen. One Common Swallow. 
The Wall Creeper noted on the 1 2th January as 
frequenting a low sandy cliff by the water's edge was found 
in almost identically the same spot. 
Feb , 'Jth . — Two eggs found in a nest of the Indian Tawny Eagle 
Aqiiila vindhiana^ placed at the extreme summit of one 
of a small group of Shisham trees standing alone in the 
i.i -t of cultivation. The nest was a large flat structure 
of sticks, lined with twigs, and seed -cases of the Shisham. 
The female was sitting on the eggs, and the male was 
