592 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXIV. 



sheep and goats eat these leaves with avidity and the coolies were also 

 observed to chew one occasionally. 



R. H. HEATH. 



Ahmedabad, November 1915. 



No. VI.— NOTES ON SOME BULBULS FROM THE BHAMO 

 DISTRICT (SINLUM KABA, KACHIN HILLS). 



Swinhoe's Bulbul {Hemixus holti). At Sinlum on the 8th of May 1913 

 I found a nest of this species. The nest, a very flimsy structure, cup- 

 shaped, was entirely made of bamboo leaves, held together by long thin 

 pieces of moss and cobwebs, and lined with a little grass. It was suspended 

 cradle-like after the manner of the orioles nests, between some stems of 

 dead bracken about 3 feet from the ground. The inside measurements 

 were as follows : — Diameter 2| inches, depth 1 inch. It contained two eggs 

 in a fairly advanced state of incubation. In colour and markings they were 

 alike, having a whitish ground colour profusely speckled all over with reddish 

 brown spots, and having the unmistakable appearance of bulbuls' eggs. 

 In shape and size there was a remarkable dift'erence between the two eggs, 

 one measured 1'06 inches by "7, the other '97 inches by '72. There appeared 

 to be no attempt made to conceal the nest, excepting that the small clearing- 

 it was in, consisting chiefly of dead brambles and bracken, was surrounded 

 by very thick jungle. I came across it quite by accident and very nearly 

 upset it by treading on some briars which had become mixed up with the 

 bracken. The first thing that struck me was, that the size of the eggs 

 appeared to be out of all proportion to the size of the nest. Of course the 

 bird had gone, so I went away for some time, and on returning quietly I saw- 

 one of the birds sitting on the nest, which it almost entirely covered ; in 

 fact there was scarcely any nest to be seen. It flew away on my approach, 

 but soon appeared again with its mate, and until then I was unaware that 

 even bulbuls could make such a noise. I shot one of the birds, and it agreed 

 with the description of Hemixus holti, (as difl'ering from H. macclellandi) 

 by Major H. H. Harington in his list of ''The Birds of the Bhamo District," 

 published in this Journal, Vol. 19, p. 107, (No. 274a). 



I do not think that the nest and eggs of this species have been recorded 

 from the Kachin Hills before, so think it may be of interest as extending its 

 breeding area. 



Referring to " The List of the Birds of the Bhamo District" by Major H. H. 

 Harington, Vol. 19, p. 107, the following may be of interest : — 



He says with regard to the Finch-billed Bulbul (Spizixus canifrons) 

 (No. 292) — '' It lays two eggs. I never found three in one nest." At Sinlum^ 

 on the 24th April 1913, I found a nest containing three eggs, and on the 

 6th of May 1913 I found another nest containing three slightly incubated 

 eggs. Writing of Anderson's Bulbul {Pt/cnonotus xanthorrhous) (No. 298a), 

 he says : '' It almost invariably lays three eggs, only on one or two occasions 

 I have taken two incubated eggs." At Sinlum on the 15th of May 1913 

 I took a beautiful clutch of four eggs, in an advanced state of incubation. 



I found a great number of nests of these two last named Bulbuls at 

 Sinlum, and my observations entirely agree with Major Harington' s, with the 

 three above quoted exceptions, and also that all the nests of P. xanthorrhous 

 I found were in bracken and none in long grass or weeds. 



STANLEY PERSHOUSE, Major, 



The Border Regt. 

 Oaklisle, 1915. 



