occurring on the hills, to define precisely what
is intended by this expression.

That which follows is written for people who visit the Nilgiri hill
stations in the hot weather, and therefore the birds described are
those which occur at elevations of 5500 feet and upwards in the summer.
Those which visit the hills only in winter are either altogether
ignored or given but the briefest mention.

This article does not deal exhaustively with the birds of the
Nilgiris; it is merely a short account of the birds commonly seen
in the higher regions of those hills during the summer months. To
compile an exhaustive list would be easy. I refrain from doing so
because a reader unacquainted with Indian ornithology would, if
confronted by such a list, find it difficult to identify the common
birds.

With this by way of introduction, I will proceed to describe the birds
in question, dealing with them according to the classification
adopted in the standard book on Indian ornithology--the bird volumes
of the "Fauna of British India" series.

THE CORVIDAE OR CROW FAMILY

This family is not nearly so well represented on the Nilgiris as it
is in the Himalayas. The only crow found on the Nilgiris is the Indian
corby (_Corvus macrorhynchus_)--the large black crow familiar to
persons living in the plains. He, alas, is plentiful in the various
hill stations; but it is some consolation that the grey-necked
_Corvus_ ceases from troubling those who seek the cool heights.

Like the grey-necked crow, the Indian tree-pie is not found at the
Nilgiri hill stations--5000 feet appears to be the highest elevation
to which he attains.

Of the tits only one species can be said to be common on the higher
Nilgiris: this is the Indian grey tit (_Parus atriceps_)--a striking
little bird, smaller than a sparrow. The head, throat, and neck are
black, and a strip of this hue runs down the middle of the abdomen.
The wings and tail are grey. The cheeks, the sides of the abdomen,
and a patch on the back of the head are white. There is also a narrow
white bar in the wing, and the grey tail is edged with white. The
bird is found all over India, but is far more abundant on the hills
than in the plains.

Another tit which, I believe, does not ascend so high as Ootacamund,
but which is not uncommon in the vicinity of Coonoor is the southern
yellow tit (_Machlolophus haplonotus_). This bird is not, as its name
would seem to imply, clothed from head to foot