_MICROSCELIS. orl 
grey. The texture is neither very fine nor very close; the gloss 
is but slight or even altogether absent and the normal shape is a 
rather long, well-pointed oval. Fifty eggs average 26:2 x 19°1 mm. 
and the extremes are 28°2x20°0, 23°3x18-7 and 25°2x 
18:3 mm. The longest egg is also the broadest. 
Habits. The Himalayan Black Bulbul is the exact opposite of 
the White-throated Bulbul in most of its ways. It is equally 
noisy and equally discordant in its notes but it is essentially a 
bird of high tree-tops, a percher and not a climber, a free and 
fairly easy flyer and largely vegetarian in its diet. The nectar of 
flowers, which Oates says it takes, is probably swallowed together 
with the numerous small insects which frequent these same 
flowers and upon which the Bulbuls feed. It goes about regularly 
in flocks all through the winter, sometimes two flocks combining 
where food is plentiful, and they have a curious follow-my-leader 
style when flying from one tree to another. It is a very bold bird 
and has no objection to being watched but it is naturally restless 
and unless on some tree, such as a Bombax in flower, which offers 
particularly fascinating food, soon flits away out of sight. 
It is never found except in really well-forested hills and 
mountains which it ascends to about 9,000 feet elevation. 
387) Microscelis psaroides nigrescens. 
Tue Assam Brack BULBUL. 
Hypsipetes psaroides nigrescens Stuart Baker, Bull. B.O. C., xxxviii, 
p. 15 (1917) (Upper Chindwin). 
Vernacular names. Dao-bulip gashim (Cachari). 
Description. Differs from M. p. psaroides in being very much 
darker both above and below; at the same time it is a paler bird 
than M. p. concolor and bas the black crown and the head dis- 
tinctly defined from the paler, blackish grey of the back. 
Colours of soft parts and Measurements much as in the last, 
though they average a little bigger. 
Distribution. South Assam, Manipur, Arrakan and_ the 
Northern Chin Hills apparently as far Hast as the Chindwin, but 
not to the Irrawaddy. It is also found in North-East Assam and 
the Abor Hills. 
Nidification. Similar to that of the last bird but moss seems to 
be far more used in the construction of the nest and in some cases 
this material forms practically the whole of the nest. Like 
the last bird this also is one of the very few that employ pine- 
needles asa lining to their nests. The eggs cannot be distin- 
euished from those of the Himalayan race. 100 average 27°1 x 
19:7 mnm., with extremes of 29°0x 19-2, 27:0 x 20°5, 24:7 x 19°3 
and 25:8 x 18:0 mm. 
Habits. Those of the genus. It is found up to 0,000 or 7,000 
feet and descends almost to the plains. It was common in Mar- 
gherita at about 700 feet and in the winter in N. Lakhimpur 
extends well into the plains. 
Nm 
2B 
