poo.pul or baiiyiin stretclunii; out Its (riant :u'ins I'nr f)Vcr Uh; tops of the oIIkO' In c.-, anrl 
marking the ])robable site of some ancient vilKi^i'e ol' },y<j()\\(\ (h\,ys in wlial, is now a -iii-nf 
wilderness. The soil is stony and dry, and din-iii;!; 1 lie .greater ))ar<, of thc yc'ir, llioii;^!) 
the thick covers ahound with pea fowl, jun<-le fowl, '^n\y i)artrid^es, and spf)ttc,d deer, tin; 
oppressive stillness of the air in the heat of the day is only ])roken by the ci-acklin^!; of the 
dead leaves under the feet of the traveller. Far different is the case when th(; sh.M<l(; oi' one 
of these wild fig trees has been reached ; the dense foliage seems idmost alive witli the 
rustling caused by the ceaseless creeping of the Ikrbets among the small twigs in search of 
food and the patter of the berries that they occasionally drop. So like, however, is th(;lr 
plumage to the colour of the trees that we have frequently waited many minutes and 
strained our eyes among the rustling branches in the hopes of catching sight of them, with- 
out success ; and as the curiosity was sharpened by the suspense, and the possibility of its 
being a new species gained ground in our minds, we generally ended by taking a blind shot 
at the moving foliage rather than risk a flying shot in .our anxiety to ascertain the fact: the 
result, alas! abvays ending in disappointment, though we frequently bagged the bird. 
When startled by an intruder the Barbets fly leisurely off to the next fig tree, keeping just 
over the tops of the trees and moving in strong undulations with repeated flaps of the 
wdngs. They are not very shy, but wdien they have been once disturbed they do not stay 
long in the next tree, but change their position quickly several times till they recover their 
equanimity, when they may again be approached. 
Their note is very loud and startling, but it has a clear metallic ring and would be 
pleasant if it were not associated in our minds with the intense heat of an Indian summer, 
when it comes with an oppressive iteration of sound across the burnt- up forests. It resembles 
the word Kohtoor repeated several times, the accent being on the last syllable. In the parts 
of the forests where the fig trees abound they may be heard calling to each other and 
making the woods resound with their clear ringing note. Dr. Jerdon says that " the call 
" Kohtoor is preceded by a harsh sort of laugh," and that " they continue to call for some 
" minutes at a time, and are heard at all hours, frequently indeed at night, especially when 
" there is moonlight." 
Mr. Elliot, in some remarks on this bird's habits, notes that one was shot while peck- 
ing the flowers of a tree. This seems to be an occasional habit with others of this faniHy 
also, for Mr. Brian Hodgson mentions finding the stomacli of a specimen of M. virens full of 
tlie leaves of some odorous flowers. Its usual food, however, is fruit and berries. Dr. 
Jerdon mentions " insects " also; but this is probably only an occasional habit, as none of 
the specimens we have examined contained a,uy. Our specimens were almost all killed in 
