250 CEATEEOPODIDJE. 



Hal its, $c. Captain Hutton remarks that the flight of P. spilo- 

 ptera is similar to that of a S f arling. It delights to take a short 

 and rapid flight and return twittering to perch on the summit of 

 the forest trees. He never observed it on the ground, and its food 

 appears to consist of berries. 



This species breeds in the holes of trees, laying its eggs on a few 

 bits of leaves. The eggs are pale greenish speckled with red and 

 purple, and they measure about 1*05 by ?!. 



Genus HYPOCOLIUS, Bonap., 1850. 



The position of the present genus is somewhat uncertain owing 

 to want of information regarding the plumage of the nestling. 

 Mr. "W. D. Gumming, who brought up some young birds at Fao 

 from the nest, unfortunately omits to state whether they resemble 

 the adults or not, and I have been unable to examine any but 

 apparently adult birds myself. These, however, are all in the 

 same plumage, sex for sex, and therefore it seems probable that 

 the young are neither spotted, streaked, nor barred, otherwise some 

 traces of these marks would be retained by some of the birds I 

 have examined. 



Sharpe speaks of the summer and winter plumage of this bird, 

 but I have not been able to discover that the plumage varies 

 according to season. 



Hypocolius is said to be migratory, but I think this statement 

 requires confirmation. It is true that it makes its appearance on 

 the shores of the Persian Gulf about the 10th of April, but it must 

 be remembered that Blanford procured the bird in Sind on the 6th 

 March. It probably moves about the country without being 

 actually a migrant in the ordinary sense of the term. 



In Hypocolius the bill is stout and broad at the base and about 

 half the length of the head ; the nostrils are small exposed ovals ; 

 the rictal bristles are weak, but always clearly visible. The wing 

 is short but pointed, the first primary being minute and the second 

 reaching to the tip of the wing. The tail is long and slightly 

 graduated. The tarsus is very short and stout, coarsely scutellated, 

 and shorter than the middle toe and claw. 



262. Hypocolius ampelinus. The Grey Hypocolius. 



Hypocolius ampelinus, Bonap. Consp. Av. i, p. 336 (1850) ; Heuyl. 



Ibis, 1868, p. 181, pi. v ; Blanf. Ibis, 1875, p. 388 ; Sclater, P, Z. S. 



1875, p. 633 ; Blanf. S. F. iii, p. 358 ; Hume, S. F. iii, p. 416, 



v, p. 349 ; Sharpe, Cat.B. M. iii, p. 316 ; Hume, Cat. no. 269 quat. ; 



Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 149; Sharpe, Ibis, 1886, pp. 477, 494; 



Oates in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. i, p. 162 note. 

 Ceblepyris isabellina, Hetigl. Syst. Uebers., Siizunysb. k.-k. Acad. 



Wien, xix, p. 284 (1856). 



