PHYLLOKNIS MALABARICUS. 



(THE MALABAR GREEN BULBUL.) 



Turdiis malabaricus, Gin. Syst. Nat. i. p. 837 (1788). 



Phyllomis malabaricus, Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. p. 212 (1849) ; Gould, B. of Asia, 



pt. xiii. (1861); Jerdon, B. of Ind. ii. p. 98 (1863); Holdsw. P. Z. S. 1872, p. 451; 



Legge, Ibis, 1S74, p. 21 ; Fairbank, Str. Feath. 1876, p. 258. 

 Chloropsis malabariais, Jerdon, Cat. B. S. India, 2nd Suppl. Madr. Journ. 1844-45, p. 124. 

 Phyllomis malabarica, Kelaart, Prodromns, Cat. p. 120 (1852) ; Layard, Ann. & Mag. Nat. 



Hist. 1853, xii. p. 176; Bourdillon, Str. Feath. 1870, p. 400. 

 The Golden-fronted Green Bulbul ; The Malabar Honey-eater, Kelaart. 

 Giraw-kurulla, Sinhalese (applied to both these species, probably on account of their 



being the colour of a Parrakeet). 



Aduli male. Length 7-5 inches : wing 3-5 to 3'6 : tail 2-5 to 2-7 ; tarsus 0-7 ; mid toe and claw (straight) 0-75 : bill 

 to gape 0-85 to TO. The tail of this Bulbul is shorter and the under tail-coverts longer than in the preceding 

 -pedes, a distinguishing characteristic which is noticeable the moment the bird is handled. 



Iris brown; bill blackish : legs and feet slaty bluish. 



Above and beneath a darker green than in the foregoing ; face, chin, and throat similarly enveloped in black, but the 

 colour extends lower down on the neck and encircles the eye ; maxillary stripe larger ; forehead rich golden, 

 shading gradually into the green of the head ; the wing-patch deeper in hue, and along the carpal joint there is 

 a streak of hyacinth-blue. 



Young. The male of the year appears to have the forehead and throat green, as specimens are often procured with 

 gulden and black feathers mixed with the green respectively on these two parts; the maxillary stripe in these 

 is small. 



Female. Somewhat smaller than the male. Length 7T inches; wing 3 - 4 ; tail 2-3. Bill not so black as the male's. 

 Forehead green ; throat-patch and cheek-stripe smaller. 



. Xot having had access to any South-Indian examples of this species I am unable to give data concerning them, 

 but it is improbable that they differ in any way from insular specimens. The northern form of Golden-fronted 

 Bulbul, P. aurifrons, erroneously included in the Ceylon list by Kelaart (Prodromus, p. 120), is allied to the present 

 species. The male has the forehead more occupied by the golden hue, and the gorge, as well as the sides of the 

 throat, are hyacinth-blue; the black of the fore neck is bordered beneath with golden yellow, and the wing- 

 patch is larger than in P. malabaricus. The female, as in the present species, wants the golden forehead. 

 In my synonymy of this bird I have omitted Temminck's reference, PI. Col. 512, as neither the drawing nor the 

 description apply to the present species. The whole head, nape, sides of neck, and throat beneath the black 

 gorget are yellow, and are described in the text as "line jaune jonquille," which " couvre la tete, la region des 

 oreilles et s'etend en zone autour dc la graude et large plaque noire qui couvre toute la gorge." He concludes his 

 notice by saving that a couple of these birds were sent to him from Sumatra. The plate and description are 

 l'i rhnps those of Ph. coi-hi mli'i in usis. 



Distribution. — This handsome species has always been considered a rare bird in Ceylon : undoubtedly it 

 i- tar less numerous than the last mentioned; but it is nevertheless widely distributed, both in the low country 

 and in the mountain-regions of the island. Kelaart is said by Layard to have procured it at Nuwara Elliya; 

 and though the latter speaks of it as confined to the upland districts, he only procured one example, which 

 was brought to him by his collector " Muttoo," at Gillymally. There is an example in the British Museum 

 collected at Nuwara Elliya by Mr. Boate. The first specimen which came under my notice was one which 

 w as obtained in Dumbara by Mr. Forbes Laurie, and afterwards noticed, in his catalogue, by Mr. Holdsworth. 



