32 THE BIRDS OF CALCUTTA. 



longer crest, elegantly tapered to a point. Alto- 

 gether lie is a^very pretty little bird, and one which, 

 would attract attention anywhere. He has a much 

 wider range than the larger Bulbul, extending from 

 India to Siam and China, while the other species ia 

 not found outside this country, and is confined here 

 to the north-east, being replaced elsewhere by other 

 species very much resembling it, but not so big or 

 so black. In Western and Southern India the Eed- 

 whiskered Bulbul also gives place to another species,, 

 which is, however, very like it, chiefly differing in 

 having no white tip to the tail. Both of our Bulbuls 

 must be fairly hardy birds, for they range up the 

 Himalayas to quite a temperate climate ; however, 

 they no doubt come down in the winter just like 

 human visitants to the hills — which is where a hill- 

 bird has such an advantage over one that has to 

 rasike a long migration on the level. 



I have seen variations of both our species of 

 Bulbuls ; in the case of the larger one the " freak " 

 was ash-grey and in the smaller, white, the red 

 markings persisting in each case, as indeed red colour 

 usually does in albino varieties. Both " sports " 

 were very pretty, and as Bulbuls will breed in con- 

 finement, they would be well worth taking some 

 trouble to perpetuate. But no one is hkely to take 

 that trouble in India, and Bulbuls are not very 



