306. Pycnonotus blanfordi

306. Pycnonotus blanfordi.

Blanford's Bulbul.

Pycnonotus blanfordi, Jerdon, Ibis, 1862, p. 20; Anders. Yunnan Exped., Aves, p. 659 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. vi, p. 151; Oates, B. B. i, p. 195; id. in Hume's N. E. 2nd ed. i. p. 190. Pycnonotus familiaris, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xxxi, p. 343 (1862). Microtarsus blanfordi (Jerd.), Hume, S. F. iii, p. 125. Ixus blanfordi (Jerd.), Blyth, Birds Burm. p. 134; Oates, S. F. v, p. 156; Wardlaw Ramsay, Ms, 1877, p. 466; Hume, Cat. no. 452 quint.; Oates, S. F. x, p. 210.

Coloration. Upper plumage earthy brown with an olive tinge, washed with fulvous on the rump and upper tad-coverts; the centres of the feathers of the head deeper brown; wings and tail brown, the outer webs of the same colour as the back; lores, cheeks, and chin dull white tinged with ashy; ear-coverts silvery white; lower plumage pale brown on the breast, streaked and mottled with pale fulvous, entirely fulvous on the abdomen and under tail-coverts ; under wing-coverts and edge of wing yellowish fulvous.

The iris varies from yellowish brown to red ; eyelids plumbeous ; bill brown, paler at base of lower mandible and gape; mouth flesh-colour ; legs plumbeous; claws horn-colour.

Length nearly 8; tail 3.2; wing 3.2; tarsus .85; bill from gape .85.

Distribution. Pegu, from near Rangoon northwards, extending through Upper Burma along the valley of the Irrawaddy to Bhamo. The lateral limits are undefined at present. This is a bird of the plains and lower hills only.

Habits, &c. Breeds from April to June or July, constructing a neat cup-like nest of herbaceous stalks and grass with a few dead leaves in a bush or low tree. The eggs, three in number, are pink marked with purplish red, and measure .82 by .6.

This Bulbul has a very harsh note when disturbed, at which time it erects the short feathers of its head.