THE BULBUL8 OF NORTH CACHAR. 265 



in company with Molpastes hurmanicus and hengalensis, and the 

 chattering and noise made by these flocks is very great — each bird 

 seems to consider it necessary to hold forth on some subject, and no 

 bird considers it right to pose as an auditor only. I have often 

 seen them feeding on the ground, and on a few occasions I have 

 observed them capturing White Ants on the wing. 



I have found Dests at all times from March until the end of 

 September; on one occasion I found five eggs in a nest. 



Hypsipetes psaroides. 



Himalayan Black Bulbul. 



Jerdon's " B. of I.," No. 444, Vol. II., p. 77 ; Gates' " B. B. B.," 

 No. 165, Vol. I., p. 173 ; hi., ^'Avifauna of B. I.," Vol. I., p. 259 ; 

 Hume's ''Nests and Eggs," Vol.1., p. 164; Murray's "Avifauna 

 of B. I.," Vol. II., p. 18. 



Description. — Forehead, crown with full short crest, lores, base 

 of lower mandible and extreme angle of chin black ; an irregular 

 patch below the ear-coverts, sometimes extending behind them and 

 meeting the black of the crest, also black ; ear-coverts light grey, 

 sometimes slightly rufescent ; remainder of upper plumage grey, 

 darkest on the shoulders and lightest on the upper tail-coverts ; the 

 shoulders and scapularies are frequently tinged with brown in 

 the centre of the feathers ; visible parts of the wing the same colour 

 as the back, the inner webs and invisible part of the outer webs of 

 the quills brown ; tail dark brown, narrowly edged with grey, on all 

 but the outermost pair, for about seven-eighths of their length. 

 Lower plumage grey, darkest on the throat and lightest on the 

 abdomen ; in the new plumage the feathers are very narrowly 

 edged with white, giving the belly an albescent appearance ; under 

 tail-coverts dark grey with very broad white margins. Shafts 

 of feathers above black' ; below light grey . Irides dark hazel ; bill 

 and feet coral red. 



Male — Length 10'5 in. ; tail 4*6 in. ; wing 5"1 in. ; tarsus "7 in. ; 

 bill at front '85 in. and from gape 1*2 in. 



Female — Length 9*5 in. or rather less ; tail 4'2 in. ; wing 4'8 in. ; 

 other dimensions almost the same as in the male. 



