CHUGUR PAIR. 



469 



A curious tendency is observed in Pomacese, Cerasese to have the 

 stamina of the same colour as the petals, thereby showing their origin ? 

 How is it explained that in some transformations of this, the anthers 

 alone are petaliformed, while in others both filament and anther are 

 equally and primarily affected. 



The female Lophophorus has been living on nothing for at least a 

 week ; its voice is various, sometimes not unlike that of a large hawk, 

 at others a cackle, or low chuckle ; occasionally it runs forward, 

 erecting its crest, and spreading out its tail like a fan, the tail being 

 depressed. I fancy it roosts in trees not unlike certain pigeons, 

 Hasmatornis one species come in, this genus I think represents 

 Parus : it has the same fluttering clinging habits, it often sallies 

 forth like Merops after insects, the genus is remarkable for the 

 yellow or red colour of the under tail-covers, it is a noisy bird, 

 and not wary until so taught by experience. I doubt its power of 

 singing. The so called Bulbul, hazari dastar, the famous songster, is 

 not a real bulbul, but either Alaudina or a stonechat. 



With Hsematornis has appeared a fine Merops, of which I have not 

 yet got a specimen ; its habits were quite those of Merops, and it made 

 the same noise : it occurred with Hsematornis. 



Chugur is a large extent of ruins, traces of paths are visible lead- 

 ing to the houses, mere huts built of slabs of slate. There is one 

 square part remaining much like the base of one of the topes to 

 which it assimilates ; the building, is of slabs of wood and stone, 

 intervening. What could have induced the Mussulmans to build on 

 such horridly hard barren and hot places, with no water near ? or did 

 they occupy places taken from the Kafirs. The latter I should think 

 most likely from the names, which are evidently Kafir. 



20th. — The bird alluded to yesterday, was again seen to-day. I 

 remember shooting the same species at elevations of 8,000 feet in Boo- 

 tan, in oak forests. It has the habits of Merops, with its voice or chirp, 

 and is very gregarious, so that one part of the flock will not separate 

 from the rest. It perches in a very erect manner making swoops and 

 sallies after insects precisely as Merops. Plumage sombre, general 

 colour slaty, quills and crest blackish, bill and feet orange, tail forked. 



Is this bird of the sub-family Brachypodinse, or is it a Fissirostral 

 bird ; the wings, although graduated as to the two first quills (the 

 first being half spurious) are still long, and may be called pointed. 

 It obviously has much analogy ? with the Drongo shrikes in habits, 

 and in forked tail ; as well as in lengthened body ? Both it and 



