OF THE TRAVANCORE HILLS. 395 
282.—Chaptia cnea, Vierll. 
“ Common like the last. —F. W. B.”’ 
Wing, 4°7. 
285.—Dissemurus malabaricus, Scop. 
“One of the commonest birds, both in the jungles at the 
foot of the hills and up to 3,000 feet elevation. It has a great 
variety of notes, some of them being beautifully clear and 
melodious, and much imitative power. I have often been 
amused to hear it imitate the cry of the Harrier Eagle, 
and see it make a sudden charge down on some smaller 
bird, either in sheer mischief, or to secure some _ insect 
which the latter has captured. Ihave also heard one imitate 
exactly the evening note of the Ground Thrush (Brachyurus 
coronata). During the breeding season they are very bold, 
and a pair think nothing of attacking and driving off 
from the neighbourhood of their nest either the Harrier or 
Black Kite Eagle. I once had an adult bird brought to me, 
which had been caught with limed twigs. Within a few 
hours of capture it would take cockroaches and other insect food 
from the hand, and soon got very tame; but, unfortunately 
during an absence from home, my servant determined that it 
ought to eat rice and gave it nothing else, so the poor bird died 
of sheer starvation.—F. W. B.” 
I have already referred to this genus, Vol. II., p. 212, and I 
can only add that I have hitherto failed to discover any constant 
difference whether in size, size of crest, size or shape of bill, 
general tone of colour, or any other point between Southern 
Indian specimens and those from Rangoon and its neighbour- 
hood, which I understand to be the true paradiseus, and I think 
that malabaricus will have to be merged as a synonym of 
paradiseus. The following are the dimensions of a male from 
Travancore :— 
Length, 24-5; expanse, 18:5; wing, 6°38; tail to end of 
long tail feathers, 18°37 ; bill from gape, 1:3; tarsus, 1-1 ; 
288.—Tchitrea paradisi, Lin. 
“Very common in the low country jungles, only ascending 
the hills during the hot weather of February and March.— 
EW bh. ; 
290.—Myiagra azurea, Bodd. 
“Not uncommon; frequenting the tops of trees in small 
parties, often in company with the “ Pied Shrike” (Aemipus 
picatus).—F. W. B.” 
