^Biifls of the Jhehiin District. 
205 
tained three fresh eggs . The parent birds were rathei* 
pugnacious and chased passing Crows and Kites . 
On a huge Cotton -tree or Cymbal I noted a male 
Gr<>y Hornbill (Lophorrrii.i b-!rostris) silting on iop of a 
large boss or excrescence of the trtink into which he was 
thrusting his beak; a little observation showed that Ihere 
was a small- hole in the top of the boss ; this was the 
entrance to a nest and in it was the imprisoned female, 
which the cock was feeding. 1 had the nest examined 
and found that the original hole had had the entrance 
plastered up. leaving an aperture just sufficient for the 
cock to feed the female through. The plaster was com- 
posed of very hard dry earth, in which were a certain 
number of h:iirs. and numbers of minute seeds of tlif lig 
type, and from this I presume that the earth \s applied 
with saliva formed by the bird after feeding on the 
fruit of some form of Ficn.i trees ; the seeds of some 
species of Ficiis are used by natives in making bird-lime. 
The hen bird was taken out of the hole, but beyond 
being rather fat and having the tail feathers greatly bent 
there was nothing very remarkable about her. as she 
had clearly not been in the hole long : there were no eggs, 
so I put (he bird into an empty room to see if the excite- 
ment would make her lay ; in a few hours she laid an 
egg but the shell was broken ; it was apparently a long 
oval, dead white in colour, the shell being fairly fine in 
texture and slightlj' pitted. The bird was quiet and docile, 
but I was unable to keep her for various reasons, and 
so released her. She was still able to fly.. 
♦ 
Editorial 
Nesting Notes : Eneoui'aging reports are coming in 
from many aviarie.s, of which \vc give b.'ief notes a>; under : — 
Rev. G. H. R.vynok : 
Has young Mealy Rosella Parrakcels in the nest, four- 
teen days old and doing well. 
Mk. W. 0. Montgomery : 
Young. Olive Finche-:, 2: Californian Quail, 17. 
Incubating . Ribl>on Finches and Wiiite-headed Manni- 
kins. 
Mr. Montgomery writes : — " A Bengale-e hen has three 
"young in the nest under rather uncommon circumstances. 
" She first mated up with one of her own Icind and then with 
"an odd cock Silverbill. Both the Silverbil! and Bengalese 
