Letters, Announcements, 6$c. 229 



you might take it for a large Z. simplex of South China. My 

 single specimen is in my collection at home, or I would now 

 describe and dedicate it to our lamented friend, Dr. Jerdon. 



When at Galle (Ceylon) in the spring of last year (April) , 

 I shot a pair of the Z. palpebrosus. They seemed in habits 

 and note to be very similar to the South-China bird. Their 

 tongues were brushed at the tip. The male had small testes ; 

 and the birds were still in little parties and had apparently 

 not commenced to breed. 



I also got a male Arachnechthra lotenia, with a tongue long 

 and brushed at the end. Its testes were large and white ; and 

 its gizzard contained a number of small Tipula (Harry Long- 

 legs) entire. 



A large tree ran into a dead pole at its top. In a small 

 hole in this dead wood, about 50 feet from the ground, a pair 

 of small Barbets had their nest. The male flew to the tree 

 and called to his mate, and she flew out and sat by his side. 

 I procured the pair. They were Xantholaema rubricapilla 

 (Gmel.) , and had dull coral-red legs and feet with black claws, 

 soles ochreous ; iris brown ; bellies bare. The stomach of 

 the female was empty ; and she was evidently going to be re- 

 lieved by the male, who by the bareness of his belly apparently 

 took his share in incubation. In birds where the sexes are 

 alike both parents seem to take a share in sitting on the eggs, 

 so far as T have observed ; but where the males are hand- 

 somer, they only do the gallant to the females by taking them 

 refreshment while engaged in brooding. I do not state this as 

 a law, but suggest it as an idea to invite further investigation. 



To another small hole in a smooth-stemmed tree, about 30 

 feet from the ground, I watched a male Copsychus take food 

 to a female on her eggs. They were common about the native 

 huts in the gloom of cocoanut-groves. In habits and notes 

 they reminded me entirely of our Chinese Magpie Robin, which 

 is also distinguished for the extraordinary nuptial antics of 

 the male. I shot a pair ; but the bird is so rare here that I 

 have not yet had a chance of comparing Chinese with Ceylon 

 specimens. 



Babbling Thrushes {Malacocercus striatus) were often seen 



