THE BIRDS OF TRAVANCORE. 263 



and is about 4 inches in breadth. I have had many eggs brought me 

 and have myself taken several nests. One was in a small tree over- 

 hano-ing a stream at a height of 12 feet from the ground and was well 

 concealed, another was in an exactly similar place rather higher up 

 the same stream, a third was on a roadside in a thorny bush, and I 

 would not have noticed it had I not seen the male bird fly away. 

 This was also about 1 2 feet from the ground. The fourth nest was at 

 a much higher elevation, but was otherwise similar to those I have 

 mentioned. It only contained one slightly incubated egg however. 

 The normal number of eggs is two, the ground colour is pale-green, 

 but almost covered by the very fine spots of brown and walnut. These 

 spots run into a zone at the larger end, which is present in every egg. 

 The eggs themselves are pointed and glossy with a very fine shell. 

 The average size is l'OxO'78." 



Sub-family Brachypodince. 



(29) Hypsipetes ganeesa. — The Southern Indian Black Bulbul. 



Oates, No. 271 ; Jerdon, No. 445. 

 Numbers of this Bulbul may be seen and heard at about 3,000 feet ele- 

 vation and upwards. I have only once met with them much below this 7 

 when I came across a very large flock at about 1,500 feet ; but Mr. F. W. 

 Bourdillon says they are " found also, though in small numbers, at the 

 foot of the hills." They are noisy birds, and in the South their notes are 

 predominant at the elevation I have mentioned, as are those of Trocha- 

 lopterum meridionale still higher. They occur throughout the range. 



(30) Molpastes h.emoiirhous. — The Madras Red-vented Bulbul. 



Oates, No. 271 ; Jerdon, No. 462. 

 This is eminently a bird of the plains, where it is very common, but 

 I have never met with it in the hills. They breed from February to 

 May. One nest I took in a thorny bush on the banks of a fresh water 

 lake on March 29th contained two eggs. Another in a hedge of Inga 

 dulcis in the Public Gardens, Trevandrum, at the end of April con- 

 tained three young birds. 



(31) Otocompsa fuscicaudata. — The Southern Red-whiskered 

 Bulbul. 



Oates, No. 289 ; Jerdon, No. 460. 

 This is the commonest of all the bulbuls and is found in the low 

 country and throughout the hills, including the high range up to 

 6,000 feet. It frequents gardens in the low country and open jungle 

 in the hills, and especially secondary forest. 



