THE BIRDS OF KOHAT AAD THE KURRAM VALLEY. 133 



710. 9 ad. Kohat, 1,760 ft., 19th Feb. dark brown, dull crimson. 



735. 9 ad. ,, „ 24th ,, 



758. $ ? „ „ 28th „ dusky white, orange. 



785. 9 ad. „ „ 4th Apr. dull white. lemon-yellow. 



790. $ ad. „ „ 5th „ „ ' brownish -orange. 



791 $ ad. „ „ 5th „ „ orange-yellow. 



(A truly wonderful series, but the birds must be hybrids.— R.B.S.) 



These remarks are by Dr. Sharpe, and from them it will be seen that the 

 • series ranges from an almost pure M. intermedins to a nearly pure M. hucogewjs. 

 No two examples are alike, some being more like " intermedins" others more 

 like '* leufiogenys" or " hucotis" 



[284.] Molpastes leucogeny?. The White-cheeked Bulbul. 



Fulton, J B. N H. S. xvi. p. 47 (Cbitral : summer visitor from March to 

 •October; very common up to 7,000 feet); Ward, op. cit. xvii. p. Ill (very 

 common in Kashmir). 



591. $ ad. Kohat, 1,760 ft., 16th Feb. Very grey on the breast, but with 



pale yellow under tail coverts. 



724. $ ad. „ „ 21st Mar. 



767. 9 ad. „ ., 31st „ More typical. 



779. $ ad. „ „ 2nd Apr. 



780. Ad. ,. „ » 

 789. 9 ad. „ „ 5th Apr. 

 792. $ ad. „ „ 

 [I do not call these birds true P. leucogenys, as they are so much darker on 



the head, which is nearly blackish, and have not the olive on the back. They 

 •illustrate how variable is the coloration of this species in Kohat. In spite of 

 its abundance it is difficult to procure an example true to type. Most of the 

 birds seen have the breast mottled, i.e., instead of having the black of the 

 upper breast clearly defined from the light colour of the lower parts, it 

 graduates into it, frequently combined with a mottled back and sullied cheek- 

 patches and a blackish head with or without a supercilium, R. B. S.] 



Major Magrath, who has specially studied the Bulbuls in Bannu, kindly 

 contributes the following note on the present species :— 



" Dr. Bowdler Sharpe is, J believe, inclined to the view that this Bulbul 

 differs generically from Molpastes. With this I can hardly agree. Seen in its 

 natural state, the bird is a true Molpastes. In habits and notes it differs little 

 from the next species, with which it mixes freely, and from which it is 

 anything but easy to distinguish when in a tree. It seems likely that the two 

 species interbreed, but I have had no opportunity of observing a fertile cross, 

 although I have seen wild birds which looked very like hybrids between the 

 two species. The diet of the present species is perhaps more insectivorous 

 than that of the next. It is much addicted to the habit of fly-catching in the 

 •evenings and is often seen on the ground feeding on ants and grubs under 

 tree?. It is less of a garden bird than the next species. Its staple food m 



