Chap. Vin.] THE BULBUL. — TAILOB-BIRD. 251 
of colours in the same individual requires confirma- 
tion. 1 
The Bulbul. — The Condatchee Bulbul 2 , which, from 
the crest on its head, is called by the Singhalese the 
" Konda Cooroola," or Tuft bird, is regarded by the 
natives as the most "game" of all birds; arjd training 
it to fight was one of the duties entrusted by the Kings 
of Kandy to the Cooroowa, or Head-man, who had 
charge of the King's animals and Birds. For this pur- 
pose the Bulbul is taken from the nest as soon as the 
sex is distinguishable by the tufted crown ; and secured 
by a string, is taught to fly from hand to hand of its 
keeper. When pitted against an antagonist, such is 
the obstinate courage of this little creature that it will 
sink from exhaustion rather than release its hold. This 
propensity, and the ordinary character of its notes, 
render it impossible that the Bulbul of India could be 
identical with the Bulbul of Iran, the " Bird of a 
Thousand Songs," 3 of which poets say that its delicate 
passion for the rose gives a plaintive character to its 
note. 
Tailor-Bird. — The Weaver-Bird. — The tailor-bird 4 
having completed her nest, sewing together leaves by 
passing through them a cotton thread twisted by herself, 
leaps from branch to branch to testify her happiness by 
1 The engraving of the Tchitrea bulbul has a passion for the rose, 
given on page 244 is copied by per- and laments and cries when he sees 
mission from one of the splendid it pulled." — Ouseeey's Oriental 
drawings in Me. Gould's Birds of Collections, vol. i. p. 16. Accord- 
India. ing to Pallas it is the true nightin- 
2 Pycnonotus hsemorrhous, Gmel. gale of Europe, Sylvia luscinia, 
3 " Hazardasitaum," the Persian which the Armenians call boulboul, 
name for the bulbul. "The Per- and the Crim-Tartars byl-byl-i. 
sians," according to Zakary ben 4 Orthotomus longicauda, Gmel. 
Mohamed al Caswini, " say the 
