A beautiful emerald green bird. There is a patch of yellow on the forehead. The cock has the sides of the head, chin, and throat black, and a purple-blue moustache. The black of the male is replaced by bluish green in the hen.
Does not occur in the Frontier Province, the Punjab, Rajputana, Bengal, or the northern and western portions of the United Provinces. It is essentially a bird of Central and Southern India, but rare on the east coast. It affects well-wooded parts of the country. (Illus. G. B., p. 96.)
The Red-vented Bulbuls, 15-18
Head black with short crest; remainder of plumage brown, each feather having a narrow margin of a lighter hue. The tail is tipped with white, and there is a white patch above the tail. A conspicuous crimson patch under the tail. Bulbuls go about in pairs and constantly emit a cheery note. They build neat cup-shaped nests, frequently in plants in the verandahs of houses. When the nest is approached by a human being the parent birds set up a loud chattering. These bulbuls occur all over India, but ornithologists divide them into several species:
[15]. Molpastes hæmorrhous: The Madras Red-vented Bulbul. (F. 278), (J. 462), (II.)
The common bulbul of South India, as far North as Lucknow. (Illus. B. D., p. 296; also B. B., p. 87.)
[16]. Molpastes burmanicus: The Burmese Red-vented Bulbul. (F. 279), (II.)
The common bulbul of Burma.
[17]. Molpastes bengalensis: The Bengal Red-vented Bulbul. (F. 282), (J. 461), (II.)
The common bulbul of Eastern Oudh, the Bengals, and Assam. (Illus. B. C., p. 22.)