THE BIRDS OF A MADRAS GARDEN 213 



Nearly all these birds nest in the compound, and 

 all are so familiar to every Anglo-Indian that no de- 

 scription is needed. Moreover, I have, I think, pre- 

 viously treated of all of them with the exception of 

 the iora (Aegithina tiphia). In case there be any 

 who are unable to give this beautiful little species 

 a name when they see or hear it, let me briefly de- 

 scribe it. It is considerably smaller than a sparrow, 

 and lives amid the foliage, from which it picks the 

 tiny insects that constitute its food. In summer the 

 upper parts of the cock are black, and the lower 

 parts bright yellow. There are two narrow white 

 bars in the wing. In winter the black on the head 

 and back is replaced by yellowish green. The hen 

 has the upper plumage and tail green, and the lower 

 parts yellow. She also has the two white wing bars. 

 To my mind the iora is a good songster. Neverthe- 

 less, " Eha " states that it " has no song, but scarcely 

 any other bird has such a variety of sweet notes." 

 I will not quarrel over the meaning of the word song ; 

 every one who knows the iora must agree that it 

 continually makes a joyful noise. 



Less common than the birds named above, but occu- 

 pants of almost every garden, are the butcher birds 

 and their cousins the wood-shrikes, the fantail fly- 

 catchers, and the pied wagtails, the emerald bee- 

 eaters, and parakeets, the robin and the palm swift. 



The commonest species of butcher bird in Madras 

 is the bay-backed shrike (Lanius vittatus), a small bird 

 with a grey head and a maroon back, and a broad 

 black streak through the eye. This tyrant of the 



