96 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



strawberries, brazil cherries (Physalis peruviana), and other soft 

 fruit. Its note, which it is frequently uttering, is an unmusical 

 rather harsh chirrup. It has at times, however, a sweeter note, 

 and it is said to be able to imitate the notes of other birds when 

 caged. Its flight is direct, performed by a continued quick flap- 

 ping of the wings. It breeds from June to September accord- 

 ing to the locality. The nest is rather neat cup-shaped, made of 

 roots and grass, lined with hair, fibres, and spiders' webs, placed 

 at no great height in a shrub or hedge. The eggs are pale- pinkish, 

 with spots of darker lake-red, most crowded at the thick end. 

 Burgess describes them as rich madder colour, spotted and blotched 

 with gray and madder-brown ; Lajrard, as pale cream, with darker 

 markings. 



The Bulbul is very commonly caged in various parts of the 

 country, and in the Carnatic it is kept for fighting, being held on 

 the finger with a cord attached. They fight sometimes with great 

 spirit, often, I am assured, seizing their antagonist by the red fea- 

 thers, and endeavouring to pull them out. When excited they often 

 spread out these feathers laterally, so as to be seen even from above. 



Besides P. nigropileus, and the races already alluded to, there is 

 one, P. atricapillus from China. Two species of Bulbul placed by 

 Pr. Bonaparte under Tricophorus, viz., T. pulvcridentus, and 

 T. striolatus, S. Miiller, both from Sumatra, appear, by their dingy 

 coloration, either to belong to the present genus, or to be links 

 uniting it to some of the other forms. 



Of non-Asiatic Brachypodina, we have Andropadus with three 

 or four species, and Tricophorus and Ixos, with many species from 

 Africa. Of the last genus there are several from Northern Africa, 

 one of which, I. obscurus, has been killed in Spain ; and I. arsinoe 

 and 7. vallumbroste have been procured, respectively, in Arabia 

 and Palestine. 



Sub-Fam. Phyllornithin^e. 



Bill slightly lengthened, more or less curved, of variable 

 strength ; wings moderate ; tail short ; tarsus and feet short, stout. 

 Of a beautiful grass green colour, more or less adorned with 

 various glistening blue patches on the throat and shoulder of the 

 wings. 



