BABBLERS. 21 



taking home. In its nesting habits it much resembles 

 the Liothrix. 



There are many charming small Babblers in the hills 

 but in the plains few are found. Two, however, need 

 notice here. 



THE IORA (Aegithina tiphia), called Shoubiga, Tofik 

 or Fatikjal by the natives, is a common bird all over 

 the plains, but is not much seen, as it keeps on the 

 trees. Its very sweet, flute-like note, however, often 

 reveals its presence. It is a fluffy, short-tailed little 

 thing, smaller than a Sparrow. The bird figured in 

 the Plate IV (Fig. 4) is a cock in breeding plumage ; 

 some are more and others less black than this, accord- 

 ing to locality, the Southern Indian birds being the 

 darkest. The hens are simply olive-green above and 

 yellow below, with two white bars on the wing, and 

 the cock in winter also becomes olive-green, but 

 keeps his black wings and tail. Young birds resemble 

 the female. They are occasionally reared by natives 

 in Bengal and kept caged : but they are delicate, although 

 very tame and nice little pets. I have never seen an 

 old bird which had been tamed. The species seems to be 

 altogether an insect- feeder, and hence is not a good 

 subject for captivity. It begins to breed about May, 

 and builds a particularly neat and beautiful little nest, 

 a cup formed of fine fibres and coated outside with 

 cobweb. The eggs are greyish -white marked with 

 brown. 



Another small Babbler of the plains though not one 

 of our very commonest birds in the wild state, yet 



