THE DECCAN AND SOUTH MAHRATTA COUNTRY. 393 



267.— Hemipus picatus, Sykes. The Little Pied 

 Shrike. 



Locally not uncommon along the Sahyadri range. Mr. Fair- 

 bank obtained it at Nagar, Mr. Laird in the juugles south-west 

 of Belgaum, Mr. Crawford at Savautvadi, and Mr. Vidal 

 mentions it from the south of Ratnagiri. Outside of the forest 

 tracts, it probably does not occur. Jerdon remarks, " occurs all 

 along the crest of the Western Ghats, as far south as the 

 Nilgiris." 



268.— Volvocivora sykesi, Strickl The Black- 

 headed Cuckoo Shrike. 



Locally not uncommon, but probably only a seasonal visitant 

 in most localities, though it may breed on the Ghats and in the 

 neighbouring forests. It passes through Belgaum in consider- 

 able numbers before and after the rains, but where it goes 

 to breed I don't know. Mr. Fairbank says : u Common in the 

 woods by the Ghatprabha river in the Belgaum districts." In 

 the northern portion of the region and in Ratnagiri it appears 

 to be much less common. 



269. — Volvocivora melaschista, Hodgs. The Dark- 

 grey Cuckoo Shrike. 



Rare. Has been obtained atSavantvadi, but I have no other 

 record of its occurrence throughout the region. 



270.— Graucalus macii, Less. The Large Cuckoo 

 Shrike. 



Permanent resident in Ratnagiri and other localities. Locally 

 not uncommon, but in the plains portion of the region it ap- 

 pears to be rare. It is not included in Messrs. Wenden and 

 Davidson's list of Deccan species, and I only met with it as a 

 straggler in Belgaum and Satara. In Ratnagiri and about 

 the Ghats it is much more common, though it avoids very dense 

 forest. 



272.— Pericrocotus flammeus, Forst. The Orange 

 Minivet. 



Permanent resident. Not uncommon all along the Sahyadri 

 range from Goa to Khaudala. It does not occur in the plains 

 portion of the region. 



? 273.— Pericrocotus brevirostris, Fig. The Short- 

 billed Minivet. 



Cold weather visitant. Rare if it occurs at all, which is 

 doubtful {vide distribution of species, S. F., IV., 209, and V., 



