664 The Sparrow-like Birds 



is a cup-shaped affair constructed of twigs and dry leaves and placed in a low 

 bush; the eggs are pinkish marked with maroon and purple. Of quite different 

 appearance is the Blue-bellied Bulbul (P. or Rubigula cyaniventris] of the Malay 

 Peninsula and Sumatra, the upper parts being bright yellowish green, the head 

 and under parts deep slaty blue, and the lower tail-coverts bright yellow. Per- 

 haps the best-known of the African forms is the Red-browed Bulbul (P. capensis) 

 of South Africa, which in coloration is brown with the center of the abdomen 

 whitish and the lower tail-coverts bright yellow, the distinguishing character 

 being "a dark red wattled eyelid." "The 'Kuif-Kop,' as it is called by the 

 colonists," Dr. Sharpe says, "is found in great abundance in the neighborhood 

 of Cape Town and indeed throughout the whole colony. They migrate accord- 

 ing to the fruit season and are especially partial to figs and grapes. They also 

 feed largely on the berries of the Persian lilac, and when that tree is in fruit 

 any number might be shot by a person lying in ambush. When feeding they 

 keep up a continual chattering, and as they usually go in flocks of ten or fifteen 

 in number, their presence is soon detected." Very similar to this, but known 

 by having the eyelid black and not wattled, is the Black-browed Bulbul (P. 

 tricolor} of Southwest Africa. Regarding this species, Mr. Thomas Ayres writes 

 as follows: "These birds live entirely on fruits and berries, and are very de- 

 structive in our gardens, devouring indiscriminately bananas, loquats, peaches, 

 papaws, Cape gooseberries, and also other soft fruits. They are very numerous; 

 they build generally in the fork of a tree, toward the top, and lay from three 

 to five eggs. These birds often get intoxicated by eating fruit that is over-ripe 

 and has undergone fermentation, more especially the Cape gooseberries, and 

 when in this drunken state are easily caught, as they can fly but a few yards 

 at a time, and then not straight, soon tumbling to the ground." 



Green Bulbuls. The handsomest members of the family are the Green 

 Bulbuls (Chloropsis) of southern and southeastern Asia, which have the plumage 

 mainly bright green, set off with jet-black, blue, or orange and yellow. Thus 

 the Golden-headed Green Bulbul (C. aurifrons] has the plumage a dark grass- 

 green with the front of the head rich orange-yellow, the chin, cheeks, and upper 

 throat bright blue, the sides of the head and lower throat black, while there is 

 a collar of yellow and the shoulders and smaller wing-coverts of verdigris-blue. 

 This species, and in fact all of its relatives, are rather solitary birds, going about 

 in pairs or singly and frequenting trees, among the leaves of which they secure 

 their food, which consists mainly of insects. According to Mr. Gates, they mimic 

 the calls of other birds, and, notwithstanding their brilliant plumage, are diffi- 

 cult to detect among the leaves. The common Green Bulbul (C. jerdoni) of 

 the Indian peninsula and Ceylon differs from the above species in having the 

 forehead dull yellow and the upper parts light grass-green. According to Jer- 

 don this species is usually met with in pairs, flitting about the extreme 

 branches of trees, examining the leaves for insects. It has an agreeable call 

 note, and builds a slight cup-shaped nest of fine grasses near the extremity of 

 a branch ; the eggs are white with a few claret blotches. 



