Famity MEGALAIMIDA® ( Barhets) 
This isa common and well-known family of birds in India, so 
that it will need but little in the way of introduction, more so, as 
one species the “Copper Smith” as it is commonly called, must have 
already, unceremoniously introduced itself in the plains. These birds 
are readily recognised partly by their prevailing leaf green colour, 
which predominates in most of the species, and also by their gene- 
ral habits and characteristics. Some species of this family have at 
times, been mistaken for Woodpeckers, by more casual observers. 
Their anatomy generally, and shape of bill brings them near the 
Toucans of South America, more so, the Great Himalayan Barbet. 
Barbets as a family have the bill stout, slightly conical in shape, tip 
compressed and sides inflated. They are furnished with stiff pro- 
jecting bristles; wings and tail short; toes in pairs, hind claws 
curved. Barbets are bright plumage birds, where leaf green predo- 
minates over patches of red, yellow and blue, as the case might be. 
They are lively and active in their habits, in the hills more so, than 
the species found in the plains and live much on fruit and berries, 
insects occasionally. 
(191) MEGALAIMA VIRENS, Great Himalayan Barbet, is often met 
with in wooded parts of the station, more especially Ghoom forest. 
It usually keeps to the higher branches of trees and is a good strong 
perching bird, which is more noticeable from the well padded and 
furrowed appearance of under part of the toes, produced by habit- 
ually and firmly gripping the branch it has settled on, leaving a 
hollowed out impression in soles of the feet. This Barbet is fairly 
common from 6,000 to 8,000 feet elevation and makes occasional visits 
to Darjeeling (on Birch hill they are more frequently seen) in spring 
or during the rainy season; at which time it is seen on topmost 
branches of the tallest trees. They are usually in pairs, and when 
they rise for another long flight to some dense forest glade, they 
utter harsh call-like sounds. How different this cry is from their 
loud far reaching wail from some forest depth, not unlike pi-o, 
pi-o, pi-o, so often heard proceeding from the outskirts of Dar- 
jeeling. There is a romantic story associated with this bird among 
hill people, but to appreciate it, you must hear it in Nepalese. /irens 
is 13 inches in length; leaf green colour predominating, head nape 
and neck are dusky violet-blue, coppery-brown on the back, scapu- 
lars and lesser wing coverts; primaries dull blue, the remaining quills 
are yellowish; tail light silky bluish-green; breast brown, below 
bluish green, pale yellow on the sides, blotched with brown; under 
tail coverts crimson, similar to most of the Toucans. J/%irens lives 
chiefly on fruit. The next two Barbets which are likely to be met 
with in the district are Asiatica (195) and Franklinii (196). 
