348 TIMALIID A&A. 
the lower growths and it roosts for preference in dense secondary 
scrub or even in long sun- or elephant-grass. It indulges in the 
quaintest of attitudes when feeding and is a very active and 
restless bird. At one moment it will hover like a Sun-bird in 
front of a flower, at anothér it clambers along the lower surface 
of a thin branch and sometimes it will swing itself round and 
round in somersaults, a trick it carries with it into captivity. 
It is a most charming cage-bird, very easily tamed and a sweet 
songster. Its note, most often used in the cold weather when 
feeding in company, is a low “ cheep,” like that of a chicken calling 
for iis mother, but it has an immense number of notes and is an 
excellent mimic. It feeds on insects, seeds and fruit and I have 
seen it feeding on bananas, oranges and peaches which had 
burst over-ripe on the trees. They are extremely quarrelsome 
birds and will allow no others to feed near them. 
(369) Chloropsis aurifrons davidsoni.* 
THe MALABar CHLOROPSIS. 
Chloropsis aurifrons davidsoni, Stuart Baker, Bull. B.O.C , xh, p. 8 
(1920) (Malabar). 
Chloropsis malabarica. Blanf. & Oates, 1, p. 235. 
Vernacular names. Chota Harrial (Hind.). 
HH 
Fig. 66.—Head of C. a. davidsoni. 
-Description.— Adult male. Differs from C. a. aurifrons in having 
the chin and throat black instead of blue without the surrounding 
gold collar. The moustachial streak remains blue. 
Colours of soft parts and Measurements as in the last. 
The female has but little signs of the golden forehead or blue 
moustachial streak and has the chin and throat pale green. 
The young bird, as in the last, is all green. 
Distribution. West coast of India, Khandala to Ceylon. 
Nidification. A nest with eggs sent me from Ratnapura, 
Ceylon, is exactly like that of the Gold-fronted Chloropsis and 
was placed in an outer small branch of a tree abont 20 feet from 
* Turdus malabaricus Gmel., 8. N., p. 837, is preoccupied by the same 
author, p. 816, and cannot therefore be used. 
