BULBULS' NESTS I 137 



did not seem to hear the approach of the old birds. 

 On the sixth day of their existence the youngsters 

 first began to call for food, and for a time the sounds 

 they emitted were very feeble. On the sixth day 

 their eyes began to open, the opening at first being 

 a tiny slit. 



The parents were not always judicious in selecting 

 food for their babes. I saw a bulbul bring a large 

 insect with gauzy wings to a six-day-old nestling. 

 The bird succeeded in ramming about one-third 

 of it into the gaping mouth of the young one. The 

 latter then made frantic efforts to swallow its prize. 

 After struggling for the greater part of a minute it 

 rested for a few seconds with half an inch of insect 

 projecting from its bill. When at last it did succeed 

 in swallowing it, the young bulbul fell back with 

 neck stretched out and appeared to be in a thoroughly 

 exhausted condition. 



A triple tragedy has now to be related. Tragedies, 

 alas ! are very common among the bulbul community. 

 On several occasions have I watched the nesting 

 operations of these birds, but never yet have I seen 

 a single young one reach maturity. When the eldest 

 of the nestlings was seven days old I noticed that the 

 list on the nest had become very marked, and on 

 examining the nursery I found it empty. I then saw 

 two of the young bulbuls lying on the floor of the 

 verandah. The third was nowhere to be seen. Having 

 rectified the position of the nest, I replaced the two 

 nestlings, which the parents continued to feed. They did 

 not seem to notice that one of their babes was missing. 



