640 Birds in the Museum of the Asiatic Society. [No. 116. 



47. Genus Ixos. 

 Sp. I. Jocosus. 



Pink-eared Bulbul. — Jocose Shrike. 



Lanius Jocosus. Lin. Syst. Nat. I. 138. Gmelin. Lin. L 310. Turton's 

 Lin. L 181. 



Jocose Shrike. Lath. Gen. Hist. II. 41. 



Lanius Emeria. Shaw Gen. Zool. VII. 332. 



Brachypus (?) Jocosus. Steph. Shaw, XII. 191. 



*' These birds are in great request among the natives, being of 

 a fearless disposition, and easily reclaimed. They are taught to sit on 

 the fist, and numbers may thus be seen in any Indian bazar. They 

 have a pretty smart appearance, and the head has an uncommon 

 and handsome plume ; but the song, though the few notes of which it is 

 composed are sweet, has neither much strength nor any variety." — C. 

 W. Smith's MS. Notes. 



The ear of this bird is clothed with pink feathers, from which cha- 

 racter the Curator has ventured to add the English name given above, 

 as, at least, quite as expressive as those it has before. The species 

 is found in great numbers near Calcutta, congregating together on the 

 tops of high bushes, and in middle sized trees. It is also to be 

 met with in Behar and Orissa, and Col. Sykes found it in the Deccan 

 only in the lofty woods of the Ghauts. It is called Bulbul by 

 the natives of India. A good account of its habits is given in La- 

 tham's General History of Birds, vol. ii, page 41. 



The plumage of the pink-eared Bulbul is glossy in the black and 

 white parts, and the long narrow feathers of the plume are very soft 

 and beautiful, though not silky. 



48. Ixos . Common Bulbul. 



Shot by the Curator, and mounted in the Museum. 



This is the largest of the two Bengal Bulbuls, and is the variety 

 of Latham's Jocose Shrikes. It is found in great numbers congregat- 

 ing together upon trees and bushes throughout all the parts of the 

 provinces of Bengal, Behar, and Orissa ; and I believe in all parts 

 of India. It is a noisy chattering bird, with a whistle like one of the 

 lower notes of the English Blackbird. 



