1840.} 



of the Peninsula of India, 



217 



217. —^, vlridis, Gmel.~B. zeilamcust Lath.— Brown, III. Zool. pi. 

 l5.,LeCaihezon.^ Kettorea, YieiWoU—B. Lathamii, Vieillot,Encly. Meth. 

 — B. caniceps, Franklin, Cat. — Kootoomra, 11. of some shikarees. — Koo- 

 ioorga, Mahr. — Kootur Kakee, Can., all named from its call. — Brown- 

 headed Bar bet. —Jungle Barbel. 



Tliis Bar bet is found throughout India, only in the higher jungles, 

 and is therefore of course most abundant on the west coast, where it is 

 found from the level of the sea to the top of the Neilgherries, where 

 it is more abundant than in any other locality I have visited. There 

 is a very remarkable variation in the size of this species, the largest 

 specimens being found on the Neilgherries, and degenerating in size> 

 as you approach the coast. From Mr. Elliot's notes I extract the fol- 

 lowing interesting observations — " Seldom seen on the wing ; but sia- 

 gle birds heard on almost every tree, uttering their peculiar note which 

 resembles the native (Canarese) name, being a continued Kooturr 

 Koturrr, or K'turrr. They continue to call for some minute at a timcj 

 and are heard throughout the day. On each side of the throat is a 

 naked spot with skin wrinkled, which is probably contracted and ex- 

 panded when the bird is calling." This bird does not elimb like a 

 woodpecker, and I never heard any tapping from the trees it frequents. 

 Its most general food is fruits and berri#^s, occasionally it eats various 

 insects. Mr. Elliot says " one was shot picking at the flowers of a 

 small tree.'' 



Irides reddish brown j bill and legs pale horny brown. 



Length varies from hardly 8 to 10 inches; of the largest one, the 

 wing is ; tail nearly 3; tarsus ly\ths; and bill at gape I jS^^ths. la 

 the smallest,, the bill is only l-j-V^lis ; wing 4 ; and tail 2^ inches. 



Genus YUNX.— L., 



218. — Y. torquilla ?. — Wryneck. 



Mr. Elliot obtained a single specimen of this bird, or a nearly allied 

 species,, in the middle of the month of April, in the Southern Mahratta 

 Country. It was seated on the ground in the bed of a dry tank. I have 

 never seen it, and add Mr,. Elliot's description for the sake of compa- 

 rison. 



Above of a beautiful speckled grey, with a broad irregular dark 

 line from the crown to the middle of the back j so dark in parts as to 

 appear almost like black spots. Cheeks and throat pale yellowish, with 

 narrow transverse bars, which are also continued on the chin, which 

 lias a white ground* A dark broad line runs from the eye to the ear^ 



