on or paddy-bird (_Ardeola grayii_).

A colony of these birds pursues its avocations on the margin of the
lake at Ootacamund, but I believe that I am right in saying that the
paddy-birds of Ootacamund go to the plains for nesting purposes.

_PART III_
_The Common Birds of the Palni Hills_

_THE COMMON BIRDS OF THE PALNI HILLS_

For the benefit of those who visit Kodikanal I have compiled a list
of the birds most commonly seen at altitudes of over 5000 feet in
the Palni hills. I must here state that I have no first-hand knowledge
of the avifauna of those hills, and the list that follows is based
on the observations of Dr. Fairbank, made nearly 40 years ago.

The avifauna of the Palni is a comparatively restricted one: which
is in part doubtless explained by the comparatively small area of
the higher ranges that is covered by forest.

The great majority of the birds that follow have been described in
the chapter on the birds of the Nilgiris, and I have contented myself
with merely naming such.

THE CORVIDAE OR CROW FAMILY

1. _Corvus macrorhynchus_. The Indian corby. This is not very abundant
above 5500 feet.

2. _Dendrocitta rufa_. The tree-pie. This does not appear to occur
above 5000 feet.

3. _Machlolophus haplonotus_. The southern yellow tit. Occurs at
Kodikanal, but is not very common there.

THE CRATEROPODIDAE OR BABBLER FAMILY

4. _Crateropus canorus_. The jungle babbler. This rarely ascends
higher than 5000 feet.

5. _Trochalopterum fairbanki_. The Palni laughing-thrush. This
species is peculiar to the Palnis and the Anamallis. The head is very
dark brown, almost black, with a broad white eyebrow. The cheeks are
grey, as are the chin, throat, and breast. The back, wings, and tail
are olive brown tinged with rusty red. The abdomen is bright rufous.
The noisy cries of this bird are among the most familiar sounds of
Kodikanal. It is destructive to peaches and raspberries.

6. _Pomatorhinus horsfieldi_. The southern scimitar-babbler. This
is not nearly so abundant on the Palnis as on the Nilgiris.

7. _Zosterops palpebrosa_. The Indian white-eye. A common bird.

8. _Iole icteria_. The yellow-browed bulbul. _Otocompsa
fuscicaudata_. The southern red-whiskered bulbul or hill-bulbul. As
in the Nilgiris so in the Palnis, this is the most abundant bird on
the higher hills.

9. _Molpastes haemorrhous_. The Madras red-vented bulbul. The higher
one ascends, the rarer this bird becomes