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Show 1S66.] CAPT. BULGER ON INDIAN BIRDS. 569 13. TACCOCUA LESCHENAULTIT, Lesson. Southern Sirkee. I only met with three of these birds, on one of the slopes of the Dodabetta range of hills, about 6500 feet above the sea-level. 14. ARACHNECHTHRA ASIATICA, Latham. Purple Honeysucker. A common bird at Wellington, and constantly about the gardens. It has a feeble little song, which it frequently entertained us with. 15. DICEUM CONCOLOR, Jerdon. Neilgherry Flowerpecker. This bird did not appear to be very plentiful, notwithstanding its English name. 16. UPUPA NIGRIPENNIS, Gould. Indian Hoopoe. A pair of these were daily visitants of our garden ; I saw no others. 17. LANIUS ERYTHRONOTUS, Vigors. Rufous-backed Shrike. One of these Shrikes resided constantly in our garden, and he was very rarely silent. From the earliest dawn to sunset his curious voice was to be heard, uttering every variety of sound within his power. He generally sat on one of the highest branches of an acacia tree, twittering, and screaming, and chattering away until his harsh tones became positively annoying. His chief note was like " cover-it-up," pronounced very quickly; this was repeated several times, and then he usually followed it with " kee-up," laying a great emphasis on the first syllable, and running the second rather short. He was also fond of another note, which sounded remarkably like " give-us-a-bit," uttered with great rapidity. Occasionally he warbled like a Canary; but it was not often that he condescended to anything so musical, or varied his usual harsh utterances. He was an excellent mimic, and amongst the calls of other birds which he imitated to perfection was the " did-he-do-it" of the Red-wattled Lapwing (Lobivanellus goensis). All this time the female, for whose pleasure he doubtless exerted his powers of making a noise so incessantly and successfully, was the occupant of a nest which hung from one of the pendulous branches of an acacia tree close by, completely inaccessible to m e; otherwise I might have been tempted to appropriate the eggs. 18. DICRURUS MACROCERCUS, Vieillot. Common Drongo-Shrike. The King Crow did not appear to be plentiful. 19. LEUCOCERCA PECTORALIS, Jerdon. White-spotted Fantail. This little bird, to m y fancy, sings most melodiously and softly, especially in the early morning, soon after sunrise. One paid our garden at Wellington constant visits, and on such occasions he was seldom silent, but continued to chaunt his sweet little song at intervals of about a minute. His stay was never very lengthened, rarely extending over half an hour or thereabouts. He was a busy, restless little creature, hopping and flitting about amongst the branches without intermission, and spreading out his tail like a fan repeatedly. PROC. ZOOL. Soc-1866, No. XXXVII. |