92 



22. Lanius erythponotus, Vigors. Native name, Pila Latora. 



Is common about Muttra, seated on the top of the castor-oil tree, 

 and screams with a shrill single sound, generally repeated with one 

 high and one low note, like (leek, qeek. It utters various cries, ap- 

 parently in imitation of other birds. It always seats itself on the 

 highest or outermost branch, so as to command a wide view. This 

 bird is inferior in courage to the Sujid Latora, and has never been 

 known to attack live birds as prey, it living entirely on insects, &c. 



23. Tephrodornis pondicerianus. 



Takes very short flights, and is not shy ; hops from twig to twig, 

 and takes surveys around the tree by twisting its head in every di- 

 rection. Having spied an insect of a soft kind, it seized it, then 

 laying it down, deliberately ate it. 



I observed a specimen hunting in various trees. It was very tame, 

 and though often seated quietly for some seconds, it was never idle, 

 its eyes and head being always on the look-out for insects. It hunts 

 for insects in and under leaves, and with its very sharp bill picks 

 these out with ease. Having discovered the chrysalis of some insect 

 in its web attached to a leaf, it tugged vigorously at it till it was de- 

 tached ; it then devoured it. It did not attempt to catch flies. 



24. Malacocercus canorus, Linn. Native name, Ghanghai. 



This is most fearless in attacking the hawk. I once observed a 

 friend fly his hawk at a partridge, and as it passed by a flock of 

 these birds, they spied and attacked it after it had secured the part- 

 ridge. They so severely treated the bird with their beaks, that it 

 was glad to relinquish its prey and fly for its life. It was so fright- 

 ened, that having once taken shelter in a tree, it was with the greatest 

 difficulty brought back again to the fist. Its head remained swollen 

 for a week, and afterwards it dreaded the sight of one of these birds. 



On another occasion I observed a number of these birds actually 

 kill a sparrow-hawk. 



2f>. Malacocercus (?caudatus, Dum.). Native name, Peng. 



This bird is very common here. Its habit, size and colour di- 

 stinguish it from the Bara Podna. The Podna lives in the trees, 

 and there feeds on insects; the Peng hunts only on the ground. 

 The first has the lively motions of the small Podna ; the other in- 

 tently surveys the ground before he pecks, then hops a little distance 

 with several great bounds, and then pecks again. The colour of 

 the belly of the first is pure white, of the second only the chin. The 

 Peng is also by far the larger of the two. The voice of the Peng 

 is very peculiar, and at once distinguishes it from all other birds : 

 it is a low under-toned warbling whistle, which it very often utters. 

 A pair I have in confinement are all day long jumping from side to 

 side of their aviary and responding to each other. They bear con- 

 finement very well, and feed on grain. One of them has a malfor- 

 mation of bis upper mandible, which I8 bent down on one side of 

 the lower ; lie manages, however, to eat and thrive. 



