THE THRUSHES. 71 
Tue PrErRsIAN NIGHTINGALE (/aulias golzii) has only 
twice been known to occur wild in India, in both instances 
in Oudh. It is, however, well known as a cage-bird 
among the natives, under the name of Bulbul bostha, 
and very possibly the two unfortunate specimens who 
were ‘‘recorded ’’ were merely ‘‘ escapes.’? The proper 
range of this species, which differs very slightly in 
appearance, but more in song, from the famous Night- 
ingale of Europe, is from Turkestan and the Caucasus 
through Persia, and it is the bird called Bulbul in oriental 
poetry and legend, the lover of the rose. The name 
Bulbul, however, must have been early transferred to 
the birds which now bear it, inasmuch as it is the recog- 
nized term for them among all natives. 
In Yarkand the Barred Warbler (Sylwa mnisoria) is 
called Bulbul, it being the finest songster in that 
district ; and it must be remembered that the Persian 
Bulbul (Molpastes leucotis) is a good singer, as also is a 
Bulbul found in Palestine and there called by that name 
among the Arabs. This Palestine Bulbul (Pycnonotus 
xanthopygus) is a bird of about the size of the common 
Bengal Bulbul, dark brown in colour, with a yellow patch 
under the tail; it may sometimes be seen in captivity in 
Port Said. Canon Tristrom, who has heard it in its 
native haunts, considers that it is a very fine melodist 
indeed, and closely approaches the true Nightingale in 
the quality of its notes. 
To return to the genuine Nightingale; the figure 
(Fig. 4) on Plate Il], which was drawn from a living bird, 
kindly lent me by Mr. D. Ezra for the purpose, gives a 
