222 



cassell's book of birds. 



strokes of the wings and a hovering motion produced by broadly expanding the pinions and tail, 

 is rarely sustained for any great distance, and has no pretence to either grace or speed. In the 

 brushwood, on the contrary, they exhibit a wonderful power of climbing and creeping through dense 

 foliage, such as will bear comparison with that of the Mouse Birds themselves. Few sights are 

 more amusing than that presented by a party of these noisy chatterers, as they fly quite close together 

 from bush to bush, settling on each one in turn, creeping through it in all directions, and screaming 

 violently whenever anything attractive or unusual catches their eye, then, having snapped up as many 

 insects and devoured as many buds and leaves as their appetites require, they re-assemble, and fly 



THE WHITE-TUFTED LAUGHING THRUSH {Gatrulax Icucolofku's). 



off in closely-packed array, to repeat the same process at another spot. We are entirely without 

 particulars either respecting their nidification or manner of breeding. 



The LAUGHING THRUSHES (Garntlax), inhabiting India and Southern Asia, resemble 

 the above-mentioned group so closely in their general appearance as to render any detailed 

 description of their habits mere repetition ; we shall therefore content ourselves with the mention 

 of but one species, as the mode of life and- habits and general appearance of the group is very 

 similar. 



