NATURAL HISTORY. 25 



ON THE MIMICRY SHOWN BY PHYLLORNIS 



JERDONI. 



By Mr. E. H. Aitken. 



At the Meeting of the 1st Section held on July 30, 18S5, Mr. E. 

 H. Aitken put in the following note : — 



" On two occasions lately my attention has been attracted to the 

 extraordinary powers of mimicry possessed by the green Bulbul, 

 Phyllornis Jerdoni or Malabaricus, I am uncertain which, as both are 

 found on the Western Ghats, and I did not in either case see the bird 

 clearly enough to distinguish it. In May I was walking up from 

 Narel to Matheran when I heard the notes of several familiar birds 

 in one bush. I threw stones into the bush and a pair of green Bul- 

 buls flew out. There was nothing else in the bush. On the 

 second occasion, last July, I was at Tanna seeking for nests, 

 when I thought I heard Malacocercus Somervlllei in a jambool 

 tree. I went up to the tree and could see no bird, but the 

 Malacocercus continued very noisy. Then I heard a King Crow, 

 Buchanga Atra, calling out vigorously. I pelted the tree with stoues, 

 and after a little a green Bulbul appeared at the very top of the tree 

 and began to abuse me in several languages. Jerdon quotes Tickell 

 to the effect that P. Jerdoni is an excellent mocking bird, but as he 

 does not support the statement by his own experience, and as no 

 other writer I know of mentions the fact, I think it is worthy of 

 notice." 



