BABBLERS AND BULBULS 89 



are so common in most suburban gardens on the 

 south-east bank of the Hugli, they are very rarely 

 to be met with in the Botanic Garden on the 

 opposite one ; during the course of several years of 

 residence there, and in spite of keeping a constant 

 outlook for them, I hardly ever saw any specimens 

 of the species, and never came across a single nest. 

 Otocompsas almost always go about in pairs, 

 and when more than two are seen in company the 

 party usually consists of two parents and one or two 

 young birds who have left the nest not long before. 

 They seem to be very faithful and affectionate 

 birds, and it is pretty to note how, when one of a 

 pair has found some specially delightful fruiting 

 shrub, it will spread out its tail, flutter its little 

 wings and call aloud with cheerful notes of summons 

 to its mate to come and share the feast. They 

 build from the latter part of February until well on 

 in June, and always place their nests so low down, 

 as to make it very easy to study all the details of 

 building and hatching. It is not, however, always 

 easy to mark down the exact position of the nests 

 owing to the crafty way in which they are hidden 

 away among dense masses of foliage, and to the 

 elaborate precautions that the .owners take in 

 approaching them. The precautions are indeed 

 sometimes overdone, and, in place of securing 

 the end in view, only serve to attract attention. 

 A pair of Otocompsas once built in the midst of a 



