PYCNONOTUS. 35 



Punjab, N.-W. Provinces, Bengal and Oudh. In Sind it appears to be a 

 permanent resident, breeding from June to August. Eggs 2 4, white, 

 speckled with lake red or deep claret. 



This, with P. leucoti , is the common Bulbul of all India. It is found in 

 gardens, orchards, Babool groves, and wherever there are any clumps of 

 trees, but never in forests, either associating in small families or in pairs, rest- 

 lessly flying about from tree to tre2 in search of fruit and insects. It does 

 much damage in gardens, where it picks off blossoms of cherries and flower 

 buds. It is commonly caged throughout India, or kept tied by a cord round 

 the waist. Being pugnacious they are made to fight for small prizes, and 

 when being trained for this purpose are fed on minced meat and a compound 

 made of wheat flour, sugar and milk boiled together, otherwise dates and 

 other seasonal fruit. Breeds chiefly in June and July many often as early 

 as April and as late as the middle of August. Nest generally a compa:t 

 structure composed of delicate stems, dry leaves and grass, with a little lining 

 of any soft material. Eggs 34 in number. In shape the eggs are rather 

 long ovals, slightly compressed or pointed towards the small end. The 

 markings are very var'ous, and as, Mr. Hume says, take almost every conceiv- 

 able form defined and undefined specks, spots, blotches, streaks, smudges 

 and clouds ; their combinations are as varied as their colours, wHch^embrace 

 every shade of red, brownish and purplish red. In length the eggs vary from 

 O'7 to 0*89 and in breadth from o'6 to 0*72. 



450. Pycnonotus burmair ell" 1 *, Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus vi. 



p. 125; Oates, Sir. F. x. p. 2 1 1 ; jtf,, />'. Lr. Burm. I, p. 189. Pycnonotus 

 hcemorrhous, apud. Bl. and Wald. B. Burm. p. 135. Molpastes pygaeus, 

 (ffodgs.), Hume, Str. F. iii. p. I2 f >. Molpastes intermedius {Hay}, Armstrong, 

 Str. F. iv. p 326; Hume, Str. F. viii. p. 98. Pycnonotus pygaeus (Hodgs.) t 

 Gates, Str. F. v. p. 157. Pycnonotus intermedius (//tfy), Oates, Str. F. v. 

 p. 157. Pycnonotus nigripileus (.#/.), Anders. Yunnan Exped. p. 658. The 

 BURMESE RED-VENTED BULBUL. 



Forehead, crown, lores, cheeks, feathers round the eye, chin and throat 

 black ; back, scapulars, rump ai d w ng coverts dark brown, each feath?r 

 edged with whity brown ; lower back and rump uniform ashy ; upper tail 

 coverts lighter ash-colour; wing coverts like ihe back, the feathers with 

 broad ashy margins ; quills brown with narrow ashy margins, the shafts 

 reddish brown ; tail brown, tipped with white on all but the two centre 

 feathers ; breast blackish, the feathers edged with whitish ; abdomen more or 

 less white ; flanks whitish, streaked with brown ; under tail coverts crimson j 

 bill and legs black ; iris dark brown. 



Length. % inches; wing 37 ; tail 3-9 ; tarsus 09 to i ; oilmen 0-9. 



Hab. Through the Indo-Burmese countries to Cachar. According to Gates, 

 the Burmese Red-vented Bulbul occurs in every portion of Pegu, and is a 



