Birds of Luchnow, 541 



about its ornithology. By the aid of " Jerdon " I made 

 them out as belonging to this species^ but unfortunately 

 never preserved them. I have never actually handled a 

 Lucknow specimen since. Though possibly the bird may 

 be overlooked, on account of being mistaken for its smaller 

 cousin, P. brevirostris, I think that it is but a rare winter 

 visitor from Kumauu. Reid has written : " Rare it un- 

 doubtedly is, but small parties, chiefly females, may be 

 met with occasionally, from November to the end of 

 February, in mango-topes all over the Division, while I 

 have frequently seen it in the Horticultural Gardens at 

 Lucknow. It is strange that, though this species visits us, 

 P. roseus does not." 



No. 495. Pehicrocotus brevirostris. Short-billed Mi- 

 nivet. 



Sat suki kapi [H., teste Reid]. Large Raja Lai [Anglo- 

 Indian boys]. 



A fairly common winter visitor, frequenting gardens and 

 mango-groves in large and small parties, the females pre- 

 dominating. The birds generally keep near the tops of the 

 trees, and are constantly on the move, flitting from twig to 

 twig eagerly searching for insects. They first put in an 

 appearance about November, though sometimes as early as 

 October, and depart for the hills in February. 



No. 500. Pkricrocotus peregrinus. Small Minivet. 



Raja Lai [Anglo-Indian boys]. 



Tiiis pretty little bird is a common and permanent 

 resident. Like other iNlinivets, it goes about in small parties, 

 except in the breeding-season, searching the trees for insects. 

 The nest is a most lovely little cup of vegetable fibres, 

 lichens, bark, and cobwebs, while it is so small and so like 

 a knot on a branch that it is almost impossible to find it, 

 except by carefully watching the birds. I have taken it on 

 the sheshum, but principally on the mango and babool, at 

 all heights from six to forty feet. A most curious fact in 

 connexion with this bird is that — with, I think, only one 

 or two exceptions at the most — I have always found nests. 



