No. 7.] WHITEAVES— HIMALAYAN BIRDS. 401 



mellow, plaintive cry, something resembling pee ho. The Ceylon 

 or Southern Black Headed Oriole, which is very common in Ben- 

 gal, has, according to Pearson, a monotonous low note resem- 

 blins: one len2;thened full toned note on the flute, which is so 

 constantly repeated as to become a positive nuisance. One spe- 

 cies of Oriole is not uncommon in Southern Europe. In Italy, 

 its appearance is said to indicate the time of the ripening of 

 the figs, and indeed the country people fancy they can recognize 

 the words Contadino e maturo lo fico (the peasant of the fig 

 ripening) in its notes. Tne Orioles live upon insects and fruit, 

 and build in trees. 



The Bulbuls are related to the Thrushes on the one hand and 

 to the Flycatchers on the other. They are very sprightly, fine 

 songsters, easily tamed, and very pugnacious. Hence, like the 

 Magpie Robin, they are kept for fighting purposes, and are often 

 exposed for sale in the bazaars of India. They inhabit woods, 

 jungles and gardens, and feed principally upon fruit and seeds, 

 but occasionally also on insects, which they capture on the 

 ground. Allusions to these birds are frequent in the pages of 

 Lallah Eookh. There are 6 representatives of this family in 

 the specimens exhibited. These are 



The Red-whiskered Bulbul - Otocompsa rufiventris. Typical. 

 The Malabar Green Bulbul - Fhyllornis Malaharicus. 

 The Common Green Bulbul - Fhyllornis Jerdoni, 

 The Small Minnivet - - Pericrocotus peregrinus. 

 The Short- billed Minnivet - " hrevirostris. 



The Orano;e Minnivet - " flammeus. 



The last sub-family of the Dentirostres is that of the Shrikes. 

 The Ashy Swallow Shrike belongs to a group sometimes called 

 wood swallows, which are peculiar to India and Australia, By 

 several writers these birds are classed with the true swallows, 

 which in some respects they much resemble. By Gray they are 

 placed between the Drongo or Fly-Catching Shrikes (a purely 

 Asiatic group) and the Chatterers. In their powers of flight, 

 the Swallow Shrikes are said to be equal to the swallows and 

 the birds of prey. The fancy of this particular specie3 for 

 certain trees is said to be so strong that where these grow it is 

 often found living at an altitude of 4000 feet above the level of 

 the sea. These birds appear to take their prey, which consists 

 of insects, almost exclusively in the air, and rarely descend to 

 the ground, as their progress on foot is attended with much diffi- 



