224 Catalogue of the Birds [Apart 



front 1; at gape I-fYtha > f eal ' ier '' °f head and neck with the shafts of 

 the feathers black, glistening and bristly. 



Genus CENTROPUS, III.— Lark-keeled Cuckoo. 



231. — C. Pyrrhopterus. — C. Philippensis, Cov.— Corydonix pyrrhop- 

 terus, Vieillot. — Cen. bubulus, Horsf. — Mahooka, H. — Crow Pheasant 

 of Europeans of India. 



The Crow Pheasant is a common and universally spread bird, fre- 

 quenting wooded and cultivated grounds, in all parts, and found also in 

 the more open spaces of thick jungles. It is often seen in thick hedges, 

 also in woody nullahs, and in low bushy tracts. It feeds on the ground 

 chiefly, walking and running with great facility, and picking up various 

 large insects, centipedes, lizards, and even scorpions and small snakes. 

 It may often be seen walking along the bank of a dry tank, a bund of 

 a paddy-field, and being a remarkably slow and stupid bird, and of slow 

 flight, it is occasionally run down, or erei) caught by the hand, in suf- 

 ficiently open ground. A good shikra will also easily strike it down. 



The Mahooka has a deep sonorous call, something like ' whoot, 

 whoot, whoot,' which is often heard in a thick bush or hedge, while th« 

 bird itself remains unseen. 



Irides crimson red ; bill and legs blackish. Length 19 to 20 inches ; 

 of which the tail is 10 to 11 ; wing 7^ ; tarsus 2 inches; bill to front 

 l T Vhs; at gape l T 'V tliS - 



Tribe TENUIROSTRES. 



Family CINNYRIDiE.— Sun birds. — honey eaters. 



Genus CINNYRIS, Cuv.—Shukuv-hora, H. i. e. Suyar-sucker* 



232.— C. Mahrattensis.—Certh. Mahratlensis,Shw.—Cinni/ris orien- 

 tal, Frankl.— C. cyaneus, \ie\U.~Certhia Asiatica, Lath.— C. curru- 

 caria, Auct., Young male.— Purple honey sucker. 



This appears to be the most generally spread of all the Cinnyrides, 

 and is the only one I have met with in the bare table land. In the 

 Carnatic it is less numerous, I think, than the two next species. 

 • Called Hummitig birds by Europeans in India. 



