The Great Himalayan Barbet 



weather in India seem worse than it really is 

 by filling the welkin with the eternal monotone 

 that resembles the sound of a hammer on a 

 brazen vessel. Nearly as widely distributed are 

 the various species of green ha.rhet{7' hereiceryx), 

 whose call is scarcely less exasperating than 

 that of the coppersmith, and may be described 

 as the word kutur shouted many times and 

 usually preceded by a harsh laugh or cackle. 



The finest of all the barbets are the Mega- 

 lamas. The great Himalayan barbet attains 

 a length of 13 inches. There is no lack of 

 colour in its plumage. The head and neck are 

 a rich violet blue. The upper back is brownish 

 olive with pale green longitudinal streaks. 

 The lower back and the tail are bright green. 

 The wings are green washed with blue, brown, 

 and yellow. The upper breast is brown, and 

 the remainder of the lower plumage, with 

 the exception of a scarlet patch of feathers 

 under the tail, is yellow with a blue band 

 running along the middle line. This bright 

 red patch under the tail is not uncommon in 

 the bird world, and, curiously enough, it occurs 

 in birds in no way related to one another and 

 having little or nothing in common as regards 

 habits. It is seen in many bulbuls, robins, and 

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