The Green Frtiitsuckers. 
211 
Black-Headed Green Bulbul {Tora zeylonica) : I 
have never kept any of this genus, though I have closely 
examined their skins, and though most of the species are one- 
third smaller than Chloropds, yet they strongly resemble them 
— as might be expected they have many characteristics that are 
Tit- and Babbler-like. I do not think this species, or in 
fact any species of lora are known to English aviculture. 
Description — Male in breeding plumage: The whole 
of the head, back, wings (crossed by two white bars), and 
tail black, the latter tipped with yellowish-white : below rich 
deep yellow, paler on the middle of abdomen and under tail- 
coverts; the flanks are adorned with tufts of white plumes; 
bill plumbeous; irides greyish white; legs and feet plumbeous- 
brown. Full length 5| inches; tail 2. 
According to Jerdon the male of this species has very 
little bLick on the upper parts (during the off season), or it 
is much mixed with green, also that the white of the quills 
faintly edged with yellow, and he believes 4he black areas 
to be mostly seasonal and brought about either by a partial 
moult or by a change in the feathers. 
Female: Differs from the male; upper surface grass - 
green; lower surface yellow; wings dark brown -black, with 
two whitish bars and yellowish edges. 
Habitat and Habits: Southern India, where it is one 
of the commonest birds and its nesting period August and 
September, but I had better quote Jerdon in full as to its 
wild life : 
" The male at the breeding sieason, now and then takes a 
" shorf, flight from one tree to another, slowly, and in a flutter- 
" ing manner, with his black tail spread, and the white feathers 
" of the flanks puffed outwards and upwards, so as to give the 
" appearance of a pure white rump. I Jhave seen the nejst and 
" eggs on several occasions. The nest is deep, cup-shaped, very 
" neatly made with grass, fibres, hairs, and epider's web ; and 
" the eggs, two or three in number, are reddish white with 
" numerous darker red spotjs, chiefly at the thicker end. It 
" 1)re6ds in the South nf India, in August and September; per- 
" haps, however, twice a year. Burgess, speaking of its notes, 
" says ' truly, it has a wonderful power of voice ; at one moment 
" uttering ja lowly, plaintive oi'y, at the next a shrill whistle.' Lay- 
" ard, too, who observed it in Ceylon, states that ' the note is la 
" clear bell -like whistle, which may be imitated on an octave 
