256 The Wilson Bulletin - — No. 90 



the theory of evolution. This illustration shows that fifty-five 

 or more years ago the Hoopoe was a thick-set, thick-billed 

 bird, resembling a Grosbeak, with a gently curving crest be- 

 coming to the form and disposition of a Bluebi-rd. In the 

 course of ten or twelve years the structure of the species had 

 undergone considerable change, which can be proved by the 

 picture of it that is to be found in Webster's Unabridged 

 Dictionary, edition of 1870. And now in January, 1914, I 

 find from the living birds seen in India that in a structural 

 sense vastly greater changes have taken place within tha last 

 forty-five years. The bird at present, with its short legs, 

 long, sharp bill, and barred wings, looks somewhat like a 

 woodpecker. In fact, some of the tourists insisted that it was 

 a woodpecker. 



One Golden-backed Woodpecker (Brachypternus oiiran- 

 tius) was the sole representative of the Picus family seen in 

 India. With the usual cheerful spirit that characterizes the 

 family the world over it searched t-ree trunks and inspected 

 the hood of an electric lamp on one of the principal streets of 

 Delhi. 



Other speciss of birds found by me near the hotels more 

 often than elsewhere were the Bulbuls, the Babblers, Indian 

 Tree-pie, Common Indian Starling, Magpie Robin, Brown- 

 backed Indian Robin, Indian Redstart, Indian Tailor-bi-rd, 

 Flycatcbe-rs, Warblers, and Purple Honeysucker. Some orni- 

 thologists p'refer to call the last mentioned species the Purple 

 Sunbird (Arachnechfhra asiatica). By its quick movements 

 among the flowers while seeking itsi food of insects and nec- 

 tar, as well as by its size and color, it brought to mind the 

 Hummingbi-rds. Especially is this true of the male Sunbird, 

 that is of a rich, iridescent violet-blue color, while the female 

 as described is greenish brown-gray above, and greenish yel- 

 low beneath. Both sexes were seen, but the male more fre- 

 quently. 



The Red-whiskered Bulbul was seen and positively iden- 

 tified a short distance from the entrance to the Caves of Ele- 

 phanta ; on a few other occasions identification was not so 



