BABBLERS AND BULBULS 93 



excitements over dead leaves and other useless and 

 harmless objects. Their diet is a very varied one; 

 fruits and buds seem to form their staple food, but 

 many different sorts of insects are regarded with 

 favour. During the nesting season especially, they 

 may often be seen hunting about over the belts of 

 grass and water-weeds around the edges of ponds, 

 hovering above them and making sudden descents 

 in order to pick off the dragon-flies' eggs adhering 

 to the stalks and leaves. Among the fruits that 

 they have a great liking for are those of various 

 gourds, particularly one with beautiful, bright red 

 pulpy fruits. Like Otocompsas, they seem always 

 to be in a state of entire content with themselves 

 and their surroundings. You may often see them 

 make curious little flights, fluttering outwards from 

 their perches, and then sailing round again to them 

 in a way that at first sight suggests the pursuit of 

 some flying insect, but which in reality is merely 

 the expression of exuberant nervous energy that 

 is worked off by active exercise and the utterance 

 of pleasant little songs. 



A very different kind of bulbul that is now and 

 then to be seen in gardens near Calcutta is the lovely 

 green one, Phyllornis aurifrons. 1 It is certainly 

 seldom noticed, but this by no means implies that 

 it is very rare, as birds of such quiet habit and 



1 This bird is now known under the name of Cliloropsis aurifrons; it is 

 of the same size as Otocompsa emeria. 



