OF NORTH-EASTERN CACHAR. 25 



females occasionally commence like the males with reddish 

 orange bills. 



I can at present discover no constant difference between the 

 plumage of the young males and young females. 



153.— Loriculus vernalis, Sparrm. 



" The Indian Loriquet is rather common ; it breeds on the hills 

 about April. It is often found sucking honey from a large 

 red flower in March, when as many as 4 or 5 can sometimes be 

 killed at a shot. It flies at a great pace, but is not in the 

 least shy.— J. I." 



163 ter— Yungipicus canicapillus, Blyth. 



" This little Woodpecker is very rare. I shot a specimen in 

 March 1873, and have only seen two others since. — J. 1," 



When treating of this species {ante Vol. III., p. 61) 

 I mentioned that specimens of canicapillus from Tipperah were 

 somewhat intermediate between the typical canicapillus and 

 pygmams, and this remark applies equally to Cachar specimens, 

 which are almost devoid of white spotting on the four central 

 tail feathers. For further remarks on this species vide loc. cit. 



165 bis.— Hemicercus canente, Blyth. 



u This Woodpecker is rather rare, I have shot some 6 speci- 

 mens at different times of the year. On the 18th March 1876, 

 I found a nest of it containing two young birds. The nest was 

 in the trunk of a solitary tree in the Tea Garden about 9 feet 

 from the ground. I caught the female as she came out of the 

 hole. After releasing her she flew straight off to the jungle, 

 but returned to feed the young quite boldly within half an 

 hour.— J. I/' 



Three males, undoubtedly belonging to this the larger species, 

 with black heads and minute white specklings on the forehead. 



I have already (Vol. III., p. 61) pointed out the differences 

 that exist between this species and the smaller Southern Indian 

 cordatus, Jerdon. At the time I drew attention to the fact 

 that we had sexed a large number of the present species, and 

 that in this case it was perfectly certain that the male had the 

 head black with the speckled forehead, while the female had the 

 greater part of the top of the head bufty white, and that this 

 being so in canente, I could not believe that exactly the reverse 

 was (as stated by Dr. Jerdon) the case in cordatus. 



Mr. Gould, in the XXVIIIth part of the Birds of Asia while 

 quoting my remarks on the subject, says : — " From what I 

 know of other Woodpeckers the P is the bird with the spotted 

 crown." My knowledge, of course, is chieflv confined to the 



