BULBULS 



MORE than fifty species of bulbul are 

 found in India — bulbuls of all sorts and 

 conditions, of all shapes and sizes, from 

 the brilliant green bulbuls (which, by the 

 way, strictly speaking, are not bulbuls at all) to the dull- 

 plumaged but blithe white-browed member of the com- 

 munity, so common in Madras ; from the rowdy black 

 bulbuls of the Himalayas to the highly respectable and 

 well-behaved red-vented bulbuls. He who would write 

 of them is thus confronted with an embarras de richesses. 

 The problem that he has to solve is, which of the many 

 species to take as his theme. 



The polity of birds is said to be a republic. The 

 problem may, therefore, well be elucidated on demo- 

 cratic principles. The first and foremost of these — the 

 main plank of every demagogue's platform — is, of 

 course, " one bulbul, one vote." The second is like 

 unto the first, " every bulbul for itself." Therefore, on 

 being asked to elect a representative to be the subject- 

 matter of this paper, each will vote for his own species, 

 and the result of the poll will be : Bulbuls of the genus 

 Molpastes first, those of the genus Otocompsa a good 

 second, and the rest a long way behind. Let us then 

 conform to the will of the majority and consider for 

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