93 



When alarmed and retreating from au intruder, they run by a 

 succession of long rapid hops ; and when they have retreated some 

 distance, their appearance is rery much likę that of a large field-rat, 

 both as to waddling, motion, colour and shape ; the long tail alway8 

 dragging on the ground, very much favours the deception. When 

 they fly to a distant part of the šame field, they go so very near the 

 ground, that if their wings were not seen in motion you might fancy 

 them running or skimming the surface very swiftly. It generally 

 frequents the bottoms of hedges and open fields, iu the morning and 

 evening. 



26. Pycnonotus pyg^eus, Hodgson. 



Syn. Pyc. bengalensis, Blyth. Native name, Bulbul. 



Common in the neighbourhood of Muttra. It is sold in great 

 numbers in Delhi, and kept both for singing and fighting ; the latter 

 it is taught to do in the fol]owiug manner : — The birds are placed 

 on a string, to which they are tied, having a small range, in sight 

 of each other. They are thus fed. When they wish to teach them 

 to fight, they are kept hungry, and then are brought so near, that 

 at the extent of their tether their beaks almost touch ; the keeper 

 then plaees a little food on his finger between the two birds. As 

 both are hungry, they become indignant at the chance of each 

 other getting the food, and of course show fight, and if let loose will 

 immediately commence. 



This bird is also taught to perch on the finger. A string is tied 

 round its body and under its wings, and is thus kept prisoner with- 

 out a cage. 



The Bulbul sits on a solitary branch early in the morning, and 

 keeps uttering a ory, consisting of two sounds, thus Kee kua. I 

 have seen them hunting in pairs over the branches of large trees. 

 Sometimes it feeds on the ground. I have found the nešt of this bird 

 in Jime, in an orange-bush, 4 feet from the ground. The nešt was 

 small, round, and contained four brown-spotted eggs. 



It is remarkable that these birds are attracted by any very bright 

 red or scarlet-coloured fruit. I have seen them occasionally caught by 

 boys with a ripe cherry hung up near a lime-twig or other trap, to 

 which a Bulbul has been enticed by the colour of the fruit. 



Another native name given to these birds is Gul-doom, with re- 

 ference, no doubt, to the scarlet patch under the tail. 



I saw a specimen of this bird perfectly white all over, excepting 

 the scarlet patch under the tail. It was brought in a cage from 

 Barilly, and the owner gavę the history of the bird thus : — He was 

 one day going about the gardens near Barilly in search of young 

 birds (being a bird-fancier), when he saw a crow fly across his path 

 with a young unfledged Bulbul, followed close by the parent birds ; 

 as the crow flew close over his head, the man raised his hands and 

 made a noise, which frightened the crow; the young bird was di'opped, 

 and being picked up was aftervrards reared, when to the astonishment 



