THE BULBULS. 25 



This is a largish bird as Bulbuls go, being about nine 

 inches long, and very picturesque in appearance, with its 

 full black crest and black tail tipped with white and set 

 off by a white patch over the root and a crimson one below ; 

 the general body colour is drab with light edges, running 

 into jet black on the head and neck. The young birds 

 are more rusty in colour, and have the patch under the 

 tail cinnamon instead of red. When taken from the 

 nest just before they can fly, they are easily reared, and 

 make very nice pets, becoming so tame that they can be 

 left at complete liberty, when they will follow one about. 

 The natives keep this bird for fighting, confined by a soft 

 string tied round the middle of its body. All over India 

 Bulbuls resembling this type, but not quite so large and 

 with black more restricted to the head, are among the 

 commonest birds ; and for the purpose of this little work 

 it is not necessary to go into the rather minute distinctions 

 between them. 



THE RED-WHISKERED BULBUL is a very striking type 

 of bird, which is found in two species or varieties. Its 

 size is less than that of the dark red- vented Bulbuls, and 

 its back brown, while its underparts are pure white ; in 

 Western India there is a dark band across the breast and 

 no white tips to the tail-feathers, while in the Bengal and 

 Burmese birds the white is unbroken, and the tail has 

 white tips. The former species is Otommpsa fuscica^ata 

 and the latter Otocompsa emeria. The long black crest, 

 red cheek-patches, and red patch under the tail, which 

 both possess, mark them off at once and make them 

 easily recognizable. Young birds have no red on the 



