Mr. Reginald Phielipps,



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•simply a scratch in the sand 011 the floor of one or other of the

“ houses ” in the birdroom ; at first she would scratch in the sand

with her feet like any old hen ; but little by little she became less

careful in this respect, and at times made use of any depression

that might appear suitable. It is in these “houses ” that I place

rock-salt, etc.; and she usually selected a spot under the shelter

of a large lump of this substance. O11 rare occasions I have seen

her searching in the garden for a nesting-site, but nothing

pleased her, and she invariably returned to the shelter of the

birdroom. It is likely that she feels safer there than elsewhere.


As a rule, the other birds did not interfere with her. Once

she elected to nest in a house which is near to the domains of the

Varied Lorikeets. At pretty regular intervals, the male Lorikeet,

followed at a prudent distance by the female, would climb down

and invade this house and attack the Bulbul; then would follow

such a hullaballoo, wild screamings on the one side and indignant

twitterings on the other; then the Lorikeets, unable to lay hold

of her, would solemnly retire to their den, the Bulbul, like an

alchemist of the Middle Ages, would return to her pathetic task

of endeavouring to change grains of sand into infant Rubies,

and Silence would reign supreme once more. The Lorikeets

were as unsuccessful as I was in endeavouring to stop her sitting,

for, hardly waiting for the tail of the last to clear out of the way,

she would give an impudent twit-too-wit and return to her post

forthwith.


One day last autumn, I entered the birdroom and put up

a fledgeling Lovebird, who chanced to alight not very far from

the sitting Bulbul. With a wild unearthly scream, she attacked

the Lovebird so suddenly and savagely that the poor beast

dashed heedlessly off anywhere in frantic terror as for its life.

This frightful shriek seems to be a recognised weapon in the

armoury of the Bulbuls. In July, 1902, at page 185, I mentioned

a similar ear-splitting shriek emitted by a Brown-eared Bulbul,

Hemixus flavala, for a nefarious purpose, in which it, too, was

quite successful in the object it had in view.


Only one egg is known to have been laid by my Ruby-

throated Bulbul, and this was found in her scratch on August 27

of last year. This egg is of a reddish puce colour (of a lighter



