Birds of a Banyknk Garden. 325 



most fascinating to watch examples of these two lovely 

 species playing about iu the same branches, the throat of 

 the cock Sun-bird showing wonderful metallic shades of 

 blue and purple, while the cock Flowerpecker's plumage is 

 brilliant with crimson and black. The Tailor-bird is often 

 with them, the three together forming as delightful a trio of 

 elegant little birds as can be imagined. 



17. Dendrocopus pectoralis (Blyth). 



This Pied Woodpecker is common in Bangkok. I have 

 noticed it not only in the Wang Na, but also in some o£ the 

 old temple-enclosures busily examining the more or less 

 rotten ornamental woodwork surmounting the buildings. 

 It also comes to the trees by our windows, and will spend a 

 long time on their trunks in search of food. When thus 

 engaged it sits with tail strongly pressed to the wood, legs 

 spread out almost at right angles to the body, and the head 

 thrown well back to gain impetus for pecking. 



18. Xanthol^ema H/Ematocephala (P. L. S. Mlill.). 



The '^ Coppersmith,^' as I write, is keeping up its incessant 

 monotonous call of " pook, pook, pook, pook, pook, pook,'' 

 which is one of the commonest sounds to be heard in the 

 Wang Na. It selects the top of the tallest trees to sit in, 

 and it is wonderful how long it can keep up its noise, as the 

 jerking of its head at each " pook " seems a great effort to 

 the little bird. 



19. CoRACiAs affinis McClclland. 



The Burmese Roller is one of the few birds here which 

 most Europeans have a name for, calling it the " Blue Jay," 

 although I have more than once been told, " Of course it is 

 really a Kingfisher, you know.'' Two or three of these birds 

 live iu our garden, and have their regular posts of observa- 

 tion on the corner of a deserted building or a projecting 

 branch of a tree. Sometimes they assemble in one of the 

 trees by the house, and make a tremendous noise screaming 

 and chattering to each other. I have noticed a Roller and 

 a Drongo [Dicrurus) both trying to catch the same butterfly 

 in the air. 



