268 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1892. 



never seen, and even in June, July and August I have noticed them 

 in small flocks ; perhaps in these cases they consisted of unmated 

 males alone. The individuals of the flock often keep much scattered, 

 occupying amongst them some six to a dozen trees, where they 

 feed high up in the topmost boughs . In alighting on a tree they 

 nearly always alight near the summit, thence making their way 

 lower, if necessary. They have a great range of notes, the majority 

 of them, and those principally used, being very loud and harsh. 

 Their most musical note is a loud mellow whistle which is sometimes 

 extended and subdued into a short warbling song. They seem but 

 seldom to use either this call or the song ; most frequently each 

 member is heard calling loudlyinavery harsh vibrating note, which is 

 constantly repeated both perching and flying. It is one of the 

 noisiest of bulbuls, and, unlike most, does not become more silent 

 during the breeding season. 



It is rather a shy bird, and, if a person approaches too near it, 

 flies off, uttering its warning note to the others, who quickly follow. 



It prefers open country, and especially scattered tree forest with 

 but little undergrowth, except low scrub and grass. I have also 

 seen it during the breeding season haunting high scrub jungle with 

 a few dwarfed trees growing here and there. This was at a place 

 about 6,500 feet high, and it was also here that I found them 

 breeding in high bushes and scrub. Its flight is stronger and 

 quicker than that of any other bulbul I know. They often, when 

 flying overhead in company, make playful swoops at one another, 

 and, not infrequently, two or three birds will join in a sort of 

 foUow-my-leader kind of game on the wing. 



BOTANY OF THE LACOADIVES, being NATURAL 



HISTORY NOTES FROM H. M. I. M. SURVEY 



STEAMER '' INVaJSTIGATOB," Commander 



R. F. HOSKYN, R.N., COMMANDING. 



Series II., No. 5. By D. Peain. 



Introduction. 



The Laccadive Archipelago is situated at the south-eastern 



angle of the Arabian Sea, between Lat. 10° and 14° N. and Lon. 



71° 40' and 74° E., and is composed of 16 or 17 small coral islands, 



