Illustrations of Indian Ornithology. 



whic'li it does not make typical use, appears to me i-allier an analogical character, and 

 its other alliances heing confessedly with the Brachypodinae, I have preferred placing 

 it there. 



The subject of the present article is spread over great part of the Continent 

 of India, wherever there is a sufficiency of woodland. It is extremely common in 

 all the Western provinces, and in the Jungles of the Eastern Ghats, but is rarely 

 met with in the open country of the Carnatic, Mysore or Hydrabad, and there only 

 in the vicinity of well wooded towns. It is usually to be met with in pairs, flitting 

 about the extreme branches of trees, examining the leaves for various insects, after 

 which it occasionally takes a short flight of a foot or two, or searching for some 

 suitable fruit. It has a somewhat varied note, its usual call being, as Mr. Blyth 

 remarks, not unlike that of the King Crow (Dicrurus macrocercus,) though softened 

 down and mellowed, and occasionally is very agreeable. I have seen a nest and eggs 

 of this species in possession of S. N. Ward, Esq. It is a neat but slight, cup-shaped 

 nest composed chiefly of fine grass, and was placed near the extremity of a branch, 

 some of the nearest leaves being, it was said, brought down and loosely surrounding 

 it. It contained two eggf-, white with a few claret-coloured blotches. Its nest and 

 eggs, I may remark, show an analogy to that of the Orioles as mentioned in a previous 

 article, Plate XV., which is also a representative among the true Thrushes of the 

 Meliphagous or Tenuirostral tribes. The Orioles being by some, though not so generally, 

 assigned to the Meliphaghidce, this may seem an additional proof of the correctness 

 of those who would place our bird in the same group, but I only see in it another 

 proof of the universality of the principle of Representation, which pervades every 

 tribe throughout the animated world. 



Description. — Male, of the beautiful pale green colour prevalent throughout 

 the genus. Face, chin, throat and gorge black, surrounded with a zone of pale 

 yellowish green. Moustache, shining smalt blue. Shoulder-spot, shining azure blue. 

 The female diff'ers in having the parts that are black in the male of a light bluish 

 green, and the moustachial streak azure blue. 



Length from 7 to 7? inches — wing 3^— 'tail 2f — tarsus nearly ^ths. Irides 

 pale brown. Bill dusky. Legs cinereous. 



The only other species met with on the Peninsula of India is the C. Malabar- 

 icus, (Lath.,) C. ccesmarhynchos, apud Tiekell, C. aurifrons of my Cat. This species 

 is much more rare than the last, preferring the vicinity of lofty Jungles, and is only 

 to be found about the Western Coast, and some of the denser portions of the Jungles 



