504 PASSERIFORMES chap. 



materials, frequently bedded with fur, wool, or feathers, as in 

 Crateropus, Paradoxornis, and Trochcdopterum- several pairs of 

 the last-named occasionally using the same tree ; or it may be a 

 domed mass of grass, leaves, bark, and moss, situated on or near 

 the ground, as in Timelia, Orthonyx, Pomatorhinus, Pellorneum, 

 and Phopocichla. Lioptila and some of its nearest allies build 

 a mossy cup, adorned with cobwebs, in high firs or other trees. 

 The eggs of Crateropus and Argya are deep greenish-blue, glossy 

 and spotless ; those of Garrulax are similar, or pale blue or white ; 

 those of Dryonastes light blue ; those of Pomatorhinus, Stachyris, 

 Orthonyx, and Xiphorhamphits white ; those of Paradoxornis 

 whitish, with yellow-brown and pm-ple markings. The ground- 

 colour is frequently greenish-blue, olive, brown, salmon, creamy, 

 or white, and shews scattered or dense spots, streaks, freckles, 

 blotches, or even hieroglyphics, of reddish, pm^plish, chocolate, 

 olive, grey, or occasionally black. The coloration, however, is by 

 no means constant in each genus, while the number varies from 

 two to five or six. The Australian Pomatorhini fashion large 

 domed nests, after the manner of Magpies, of twigs lined with 

 bark and feathers, and add a spout-like entrance, while several 

 are commonly found at the ends of the branches of the same tree ; 

 their buff or purplish eggs, clouded with brown and purple, and 

 streaked with l:)lack hair-lines, number from four to ten. 



Fam. V. Pycnonotidae, The Bulbuls, often included among 

 the Timeliidae, have a fairly long bill, usually somewhat stout and 

 curved, which is Finch-like in Spizixus, very long and thin in 

 Phyllostrephus, and so forth. The maxilla is generally notched, 

 being minutely serrated in Andropadus, and decidedly hooked in 

 Tricholestes, Aethorhynchus, and Trichophoropsis ; while strong or 

 weak rictal bristles are ordinarily present. The abreviated meta- 

 tarsi lack scales in several genera. The wings are normally short, 

 rounded, and concave though more pointed in Hypsipetes and 

 Irena (if these really belong to the Family), Hemixus, Alcurus, 

 and Ixocinda or even long in Tylas the secondaries are much 

 elongated in Aethorhynchus. The tail is sometimes square or 

 graduated, but is commonly rounded, being rarely forked, as in 

 Hypsipetes ; in Irena and Micropus the coverts are much length- 

 ened, while they nearly equal the rectrices in /. crinigera. Crests 

 occur frequently, the constituent feathers in Alcur^is being obtuse, 

 in Criniger long and pointed, in Otocompsa somewhat recurved. 



