Birds of the Indian Hills 



the hills. No bird is easier to identify. The 

 upper parts are greenish yellow, and the lower 

 bright yellow, while round the eye runs a 

 broad conspicuous ring of white feathers, 

 whence the popular names of the species, 

 white-eye and spectacle-bird. Except at the 

 breeding season, it goes about in flocks of con- 

 siderable size. Each individual utters unceas- 

 ingly a low, plaintive, sonorous, cheeping note. 

 As was stated above, all arboreal gregarious 

 birds have this habit. It is by means of this 

 call note that they keep each other apprised 

 of their whereabouts. But for such a signal 

 it would scarcely be possible for the flock to 

 hold together. At the breeding season the 

 cock white-eye acquires an unusually sweet 

 song. The nest is an exquisite little cup, 

 which hangs, like a hammock, suspended from 

 a slender forked branch. Two pretty pale 

 blue eggs are laid. 



A very diminutive member of the babbler 

 clan is the fire-cap (Cephalopyrus flammicefs). 

 The upper parts of its plumage are olive green ; 

 the lower portions are golden yellow. In the 

 cock the chin is suffused with red. The cock 

 wears a further ornament in the shape of a cap of 



flaming red, which renders his identification easy. 



4 8 



