Capt. R. C. Tytler on the Fauna of Barrackpoore. 371 



rackpoore are the Cyornis rubeculoides and the Staparola mela- 

 nops] they are however uncommon, but I was fortunate in get- 

 ting several specimens of both. 



I have now to add a most rare addition to my Barrackpoore 

 collection, viz. three specimens of the Hemichelidon fuliginosa : 

 mine appear to be the first specimens obtained here; they are 

 very rare. The next birds we come to are dull species, though 

 very sprightly and active in their habits : the first, Ai-undinax 

 olivaceuLS, is rare ; but the next, Acrocephalus brunnescens and 

 A. dumetorunif are very common, as well as Phyllopneuste rama ; 

 these latter are found amongst the branches of high trees. 

 Here the lively and pretty Culicipeta burkii is found during 

 the cold season, as w^ell as the Reguloides modestus and R. tro- 

 chiloides; both of these latter species are rare. The most 

 common of this group are the Phylloscopits tristis, P. viridanus 

 and P. lugvhris, all of which are very abundant, particularly the 

 first two ; these birds are so minute that they are scarcely sought 

 for. I found the Graucalus macei rather scarce, as well as Cam- 

 pephaga sykesii, but C. fimbinata is very plentiful. 



I now come to the beautiful Pericrocotus peregrinus and P. 

 roseus ; the first is very common, the latter is not so : few birds 

 are more beautiful than the males of this elegant timid species ; 

 they are always found in small packs about trees, constantly on 

 the move in search of insects. The Swallows seem limited to 

 three, Hirundo dauricttj H. rustica, which is the same as the En- 

 glish species, and the little river H. sinensis ; the second of these 

 named species is by no means common, the other two are often 

 met with ; the little River Swallows make their nests in holes in 

 the banks of the river : the manner in which the banks are per- 

 forated with the holes these birds make is astonishing ; several 

 hundreds congregate together and live in perfect harmony. The 

 Artamus fuscus is also common; they keep in small packs, fre- 

 quenting jungles ; their habits are very like swallows' ; they are 

 often seen perched in rows on a long thin twig, occasionally 

 darting off^ in search of insects. During the cold season several 

 Chibia hottentota are to be obtained ; the gloss on the plumage 

 of this bird, as well as on that of the common little Chaptia 

 {snea, renders them objects of great interest, notwithstanding 

 their black colour. The Dicrurus macrocercus, so commonly seen 

 throughout the year in open fields, is also a very interesting spe- 

 cies, as well as D. longicaudatus ; both are very frequent, the 

 former keeping to open fields and the latter near groves of trees. 

 Besides the two mentioned I have obtained a specimen of a third 

 and very rare species, D. aerulescens ; they are found in groves of 

 trees and have a white belly ; the young of the former species are 

 marked with white, but very different from the pure white belly 



24.* 



