Birds of the Indian Hills 



Black bulbuls look black only when seen 

 from a distance. When closely inspected their 

 plumage is seen to be dark grey. The bill 

 and legs are red. The crest, I regret to say, 

 usually looks the worse for wear. Black 

 bulbuls seem never to descend to the ground. 

 They keep almost exclusively to tops of lofty 

 trees. They are very partial to the nectar 

 enclosed within the calyces of rhododendron 

 flowers. A party of half a dozen untidy black 

 birds, with moderately long tails, which keep 

 to the tops of trees and make much noise, 

 may with certainty be set down as black 

 bulbuls. 



These curious birds form the subject of a 

 separate essay. 



THE SITTID^E OR NUTHATCH FAMILY 



The Sittidae are a well-defined family of 

 little birds. When not occupied with domestic 

 cares, they congregate in small flocks that run 

 up and down the trunks and branches of trees 

 in search of insects. The nuthatch most 

 commonly seen in the hills is the white-tailed 

 species (Sitta himalayensis). The general hue 

 of this bird is slaty blue. The forehead and 



52 



