1840.] 



of the Peninsula of India. 



31 



central marks of tlie feathers also are not so dark, the shade of the 

 plumage beneath is greyish or earthy rather than rufous white, and 

 the chin is pure white. Its bill too is much thicker and stronger than 

 that of the last. The A g gun is frequently caught when young, and 

 caged for its song, which is said to be very sweet ; it also imitates the 

 notes of other birds, but not so well as the next species. As I have 

 never seen the first species (No. 183), except on the Neilgherries, I 

 think that this may perhaps be the A. Gulgula of Sykes' Cat., but again 

 the fact of the Aggnn not being observed by me on the table land, 

 and being considered as unknown here by the natives, renders this 

 improbable. 



186. — A. deva, Sykes. — A. GulgaJa, YY^vikX.-— Cherwidool or Chun- 

 dool, H. 



This well known species appears to answer pretty exactly to the 

 description by Sykes of his ' A. Deva\ I suspect it may turn out to 

 be the A, Gulgula of Franklin, as it appears to be more generally 

 spread over India than any of the others. 



The Cherundool is found all over the peninsula, but is more common 

 in the table land than below the ghauts. It differs from the two former 

 species in its smaller size, and especially in the form of its crest ; fo^ 

 whilst in the two last, the crest is composed of nearly all the feathers 

 of the head, being slightly elongated, and all capable of erection ; in 

 this bird the crest is merely confined to a few of the feathers of the 

 forehead, the centre feathers of which especially, are much elongated, 

 and partially acuminated, and when raised form a very elegant pointed 

 frontal crest, which is raised at will nearly upright, the feathers of the 

 top of the head and occiput remaining perfectly smooth. The shades 

 of its plumage are almost exactly similar to those of the first species, 

 its bill, however, is much stronger in proportion. The Cherundooli^i 

 very frequently caged in all parts of the country, and the bird is kept 

 in darkness by several layers of cloth being wrapped round the cage, 

 the custom being to wrap an additional covering round the cage every 

 year. In this state it sings very sweetly, and learns to imitate most 

 exactly the notes of various other birds, and animals even, such as the 

 yelping of a dog, the mewing of a cat, &c. &c. It feeds on various 

 insects, chiefly grasshoppers, and in default of this food on various grains 

 and seeds. Irides brown. Length 6 inches ; of wing 2 y'^^ths ; tail 

 2^2_ths ; tarsus about 1 inch J hind toe alone _3_hs j claw_-^_ to yV^Iis. 



