lO JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1892. 



repeatedly in December, January and February during which latter 

 month the birds are still collected together. 



These birds have a very peculiar habit of seating themselves at the 

 extreme end of a thin overhanging bamboo and swinging with the 

 breeze. The small solitary bamboo, Bambusa vulgaris, when still young, 

 is exactly like an extremely pliant fishing rod, and the end of one of 

 these forms a very favourite perch with this bulbul. I have often 

 seen a pair of them thus seated, close together and evidently enjoying 

 the motion of swaying backwards and forward sin the wind. They 

 are not exactly shy birds, but they will not allow nearly as close an 

 ^^pproach as lole does, unless they are in trees with very thick foliage 

 when they trust to escape being seen. If any one approaches such a 

 tree in which a flock of these birds are feeding, and of course also 

 chattering, a dead silence ensues directly they see him, and until the 

 undesired presence is withdrawn, no more conversation is carried on. 



During the breeding season they become more wild, and it is then 

 often rather difficult even to get within shot of them. 



Spizixus Canifrons. 



The Finch Billed Bulbul. 



Gates' Fauna of India, Birds, Vol. I., p. 280, id, Hume's Nests 

 and Eggs, Vol I., p. 184. Hume, Cat. No. 453 bis. Murray's 

 Avifauna of B. I., Vol II., p. 48. 



DescriptioNo — Forehead, running up in a point into the crown, 

 grey ; lores mixed grey and black, crown and round the eye black ; 

 chin and cheeks, mixed grey and black ; ear-coverts grey tinged with 

 hair-brown on the upper part, nape and sides of neck grey, chin dark 

 brownish-grey. Whole upper plumage bright olive-green, lightest 

 on the rump and upper tail=coverts, and darkest on the scapularies 

 and interscapularies ; wing-coverts the same tinged with brown on 

 the inner webs of the greater coverts ; primaries and secondaries 

 dark brown on the inner and yellowish- green on the outer webs, 

 inner secondaries green on both, but more or less tinged with brown 

 on the inner webs. Tail yellowish- green, with a band, an inch wide, 

 of dark brown at the tips. Lower plumage dull greenish-yellow, 

 brightening to yellow on the belly and under tail-coverts. Bill very 



