262 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XV. 



met with it in the low country. They go about in small parties and 

 keep up a continuous twitter as they search the leaves for their insect 

 food, assuming all sorts of attitudes as they creep among the branches 

 aud cling in any position. The building season is April and May, and 

 the nest is found at all heights from the ground. One I took at 4,000 

 feet elevation was on the side of a cutting in the road. It is found 

 throughout the range. 



Sub-family Liotrichinee. 

 (25) iEGiTHiNA tiphia, — The Common Iora. 

 Oates, No. 243 ; Jerdon, No. 467. 

 The Iora is common in the low country about gardens. I have not 

 met with it in the hills. Its presence may always be known by its 

 note which sounds like a prolonged plaintive indrawn whistle on ' ; A " 

 sharp falling to a short note on " F " sharp, Travancore males have a 

 good deal of black about the back at all seasons, and in summer the 

 black extends throughout the upper plumage, with the exception of 

 the wings. I have taken nests in April in the Public Gardens. 

 (26) Chloropsis malabarica. — The Malabar Chloropsis. 

 Oates, No. 248 ; Jerdon, No. 464. 

 Mr. F. W. Bourdillon describes this as lt a common bird in open 

 jungle with large trees. The male makes an attempt to sing, uttering a 

 few notes, something like those of the Bronzed Drongo (Chaptia cenea)." 

 It ascends the hills up to 4,000 feet, but is not found in the low country. 

 (27) Chloropsis jerdoni. — Jerdon's Chloropsis. 

 Oates, No. 252 ; Jerdon, No. 463. 

 This is a very common bird in the low country and at the foot of 

 the hills, but does not ascend them. 



(28) Irena puella. — The Fairy Blue-bird. 

 Oates, No. 254; Jerdon, No. 469. 

 The Fairy Blue-bird, so aptly named, is very common, frequenting 

 the largest forest trees in small parties from the foot of the hills to tho 

 summit. " Both sexes have a clear twittering note, which they utter 

 from the top of some tree shortly before sunset and during the breeding 

 season throughout the greater part of the day. Their food consists 

 partly of insects and partly of berries." — F. W. B. 



Mr. T. F. Bourdillon writes : — "It builds at elevations of from 500 

 feet to 3,000 feet above sea-level from January to May. The nest is 

 totally unlike that of the Orioles, being extremely rude and flimsy, and 

 has for lining a few dead leaves. It has very little depression in it, 



