Garden and aviary birds of India

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B 3 33b 355

GARDEN AND
AVIARY BIRDS
OF INDIA

FRANK FINN

THE LIBRARY

OF

THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA

PRESENTED BY

PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND
MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID

^

V

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BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

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PLATE 1.

atural Size*

1.— COPPERSMITH (Green; scarlet forehead and breast, yellow face and throat). 2.™PARAi>i8E FLY-
CATCHER (White with black head and blue bill). S.-AVADAVAT (Red with white spots).
4.— MAGPIE ROBIN OR DHYAL (Black and white). S.-SCARLET-BAKED FLOWER-PECKER
(Black, cream and scarlet).

GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS
OF INDIA

BY

FRANK FINN, B.A., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U.

WITH SEVEN FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS

SECOND EDITION

CALCUTTA

TRACKER, SPINK AND CO
1915

CALCUTTA :
FEINTED BY THACKEE, SPINK AND CO

TO MY FRIEND,

RAI R. B. SANYAL, BAHADDR, C.M.Z.S.,

Superintendent of the Calcutta Zoo,
I DEDICATE THIS BOOK.

M366781

PKEFACE.

ANGLO-INDIAN readers of the present work will
notice that birds of prey, waders, game-birds and water-
fowls have been omitted therefrom, although some
species of these — such as the kite — are among the very
commonest birds of the East ; but this was done owing
to exigencies of space, which compelled greater atten-
tion to some of the " small birds." In dealing with
these, also, I have endeavoured, where a choice had to
be made, to deal with as many different groups as possible,
rather than to particularize many species in one group,
in the hope of making the book serviceable as an intro-
duction to the study of the ornithology of our Eastern
Empire.

The same considerations have guided me in the
avicultural part of the work, wherein I have endeavoured
to meet the requirements of the beginner in bird-keeping
by indicating those species which are most easily obtained
and kept. The names of imported cage-birds are dis-
tinguished by an asterisk in the letter press and by Italics
in the List of Contents.

F. FINN,

LONDON, 1915.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER. PAGE.

I. CLASSIFICATION AND BOOKS OF REFERENCE . . 1—7

II. PASSERINE BIRDS — THE CROWS, BABBLERS, AND

BULBULS . . . . . . . . s — 30

Characteristics of Passerine Bird — The Crows-
Common Indian Magpie— Red-billed Blue
Magpie — Black-headed Jay — The Tits — Yel-
low-cheeked Tit— Indian Grey Tit— The
Babblers— Sat-bhai— Streaked Laughing-
Thrush— White-crested Laughing-Thrush—
Peko or Chinese Mocking Bird— Black -headed
Sibia — Liothrix or Pekin Robin — Blue-winged
Siva— lora— Yellow-eyed Babbler— White -
eye or Spectacle Bird— The Bulbuls— Red-
vented Bulbul— Red-whiskered Bulbul—
Black-crested Yellow Bulbul— White-cheeked
Bulbul— White -eared Bulbul— Gold-fronted
Green Bulbul.

III. PASSERINE BIRDS— (contd.)— SHRIKES, MYNAHS,

ORIOLES, ETC. .. .. .. .. 31—55

The Drongos— King-Crow— Bhimraj— The War-
blers—Tailor-Bird—The Shrikes— Brown
Shrike — Minivet — Piping Crow-Shrike or
Australian Magpie—The Orioles— Black -^
headed Oriole— Indian Golden Oriole or
Mango-Bird— The Starlings or Mynahs—
House Mynah— Bank Mynah— Jungle Mynah
—Pied Mynah— Brahminy Mynah— Grey-
headed Mynah— Hill Mynah.

Vlll CONTENTS.

CHAPTER. PAGE.

IV. PASSERINE BIRDS — (contd.) — FLY-CATCHERS,

THRUSHES, ETC. . . . . . . 56 — 74

The Fly-catchers — Paradise Fly-catcher — Fantail
Fly-catcher — Verditer Fly-catcher — Black-
naped Fly-catcher — The Thrushes — Himalayan
Whistling-Thrush — Grey-winged Blackbird—
Orange-headed Ground-Thrush — Dhayal or
Magpie -Robin — -Shama — Common Indian

Robin — Nightingale.

V. PASSERINE BIRDS — (concld.) — THE FINCHES,

SWALLOWS, SUNBIRDS, ETC. .. .. 75 — 122

The Finches — Indian Weaver Bird — Madagascar
Weaver — Paradise WJiydah — Java Sparrow —
Nutmeg Bird — Sharp-tailed Munia — Zebra
Finch — Avadavat — Tree Sparrow — Canary —
Himalayan Siskin — Gold Finch — Red-crested
Cardinal — The Swallows — House Swallow —
Wire -tailed Swallow— Striated Swallow— The
Wagtails — Large -pied Wagtail — Grey Wagtail
—The Larks— Crested Lark— The Sunbirds—
Purple Honey-sucker — Yellow-breasted Honey-
sucker — The Flower-peckers — Scarlet-backed
Flower-pecker— The Pittas— Bengal Pitta.

VI. VARIOUS NON-PASSERINE BIRDS — WOOD-PECKERS,

BARBETS, CUCKOOS, ETC. .. .. .. 123 — 154

The Woodpeckers — Golden-backed Woodpecker
— The Bar bets — Coppersmith — Blue -throated
Barbet — The Rollers — Indian Roller or Blue
Jay — Burmese Roller — The Bee -eaters — Green
Bee-eater — The Kingfishers — White -breasted
Kingfisher — The Hoopoes — European Hoopoe
— Indian Hoopoe — The Swifts — House Swift —
Palm Swift— The Nightjars— Common Indian
Nightjar— The Cuckoos— Koel— Brain-fever
Bird — Crow-Pheasant,

CONTENTS,

IX

CHAPTER. PAGE

VII. THE PARROTS AND PIGEONS .. .. ..155 — 183

The Parrot Order Generally — Typical Parrots —
Ring-necked Parakeet — Plum -headed Para-
keet— Bosella — Budgerigar — The Lories — For-
sten's Lorikeet — Harlequin Lorikeet — The
Cockatoos — Cockatid — The Pigeons — Tame
Ring -Dove — Wild R ing-Dove — Red Dove —
Spotted Dove — Little Brown Dove — Bronze -
wing Dove — Created Dare — Harrial or Green
Pigeon.

VIII. MANAGEMENT OF CAPTIVE' BIRDS ..184 — 196

Aviaries — Moveable Verandah Cages — Cages for
Single Birds— Perches— Nesting Places-
Cleaning — Feeding and Drinking-vessels — Food
and Water — Grit, Lime and Salt — Rearing
Young Birds— Breeding— Taming Wild-
caught Birds — Handling Birds — Diseases and
Accidents — The Best Birds to Keep — Trans-
port of Birds.

Note. — Names of birds not occurring wild in the Indian Empire are
given above in italics, while in the text they are marked with an asterisk.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PLATE 1 . —Frontispiece.

COPPERSMITH — PARADISE FLY-CATCHER — AVADAVAT — MAGPIE
ROBIN OR DHYAL — SCARLET-BACKED FLOWER -PECKER.

PLATE 2.— Facing page 16.

BROWN SHRIKE — BLACK-HEADED ORIOLE — NUTMEG-BIRD — PIED
MYNAH.

PLATE 3.— Facing page 40.

YELLOW- BREASTED HONEY -SUCKER — SHAMA — PEKO — NIGHTIN-
GALE.

PLATE 4.— Facing page 64.
MINIVET — GREEN BEE-EATER — TAILOR-BIRD — IORA — SIBIA.

PLATE 5. —Facing page 96.

PURPLE HONEY-SUCKER — SPECTACLE-BIRD — WHITE-EARED BUL-
BUL — PEKIN ROBIN — GOLD-FRONTED BULBUL.

PLATE 6.— Facing page 136.

RED-CRESTED CARDINAL — BUDGERIGAR — JAVA SPARROW — GOLD
FINCH.

PLATE 7.— -Facing page 168.

FORSTEN'S LORIKEET— COCKATIEL— ROSELLA— HARLEQUIN LORI
KEET.

GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS

OF INDIA.

•
CHAPTER I.

CLASSIFICATION AND BOOKS OF REFERENCE.

FOR the purposes of the present work, I shall not usually
discuss the various orders of birds, but shall confine myself
to families, as the limits of these are very well defined
and generally agreed upon by ornithologists, while with
regard to the orders hardly any two books agree. The
scientific names employed will be those of the bird volumes
of the Fauna of British India for Indian Birds ; while
for the foreign species which I shall have occasion to deal
with I shall use those of the British Museum Catalogue
of Birds. Names of birds not occurring wild in the Indian
Empire are marked with an asterisk.

And here a few words on the subject of the classifica-
tory terms employed by naturalists may not be out of
place, as they are not always understood by beginners.

A species is a collection of individuals which reproduce
others like themselves. Thus, over most of India we

2 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

find numbers of green Parrots with long, pointed tails,
and if we watch the domestic affairs of these we shall
discover that their young, as a rule, preserve the same
type. All these birds, therefore, we group as a species,
called in English the Rose-ringed Parrakeet, from the
pink ring on the neck of the males. In some places we
shall come across a smaller Parrakeet, of the same general
shape, but with the head of a strikingly different colour
from the body — plum-colour in the male and dull purple
in the female. If we attend to the propagation of these
we shall discover that their young in turn resemble them,
although the coloured head takes some time to develop.
These, then, form another species, called the Plum-headed
Parrakeet.

Further research will show us yet other kinds, all agree-
ing in general shape, but differing slightly in proportions,
and more in colour. We group all these together as a
genus ; in popular language, they are all birds of the same
style, though each species, or collection of individuals,
differs in certain details which are peculiar to it.

If we examine the Parrakeets brought from Australia,
we shall observe that while they can be divided up into
groups of individuals, forming species, which groups
differ in colour even more strikingly than our Indian
birds, yet many of them agree closely in certain details
which mark them off as another group or genus. Thus,
though their tails are long and pointed, they are very
much shorter and broader than those of the Indian
Parrakeets ; their legs are longer, and, if we come to keep
and observe them, we shall find their movements are

CLASSIFICATION.

rather different. So we say they are birds of another
genus or style.

Yet it is perfectly obvious that both of these collec-
tions of species have much in common — there is a fami-
ly resemblance between them, as we say. Hence, the
Indian green long-tailed Parrakeets, and the Australian
many-coloured broad-tailed Parrakeets, are both said
to belong to the family Psittacidce.

The classical name is used in order to make our books
intelligible to naturalists all over the world, who may
not know our particular language. So, also, we use
a special word, compounded from two Greek ones to
express the long-tailed green Parrakeets of India —
Palceornis. This means " the bird of old," these Parrots
having been the first known to the ancients, who called
them by the name Psittacus, which means Parrot. The
word Psittacidcp means " the family of Psittacus " — the
Parrot clan, so to speak.

The Australian branch of the clan is also designated
by a compound Greek name — Platycercus, meaning
" broad-tailed." This name is of course of modern
invention, though on classical lines.

In order to designate the species, a specific name,
generally Latin, is tacked on to the name of the genus.
Thus, the Rose-ringed Parrakeet is called Palceornis
torquatus, torquatus meaning " ringed." The plum-head-
ed is called Palceornis cyanocephalus, cyanocephalus (which
happens to be Greek) meaning blue-headed.

Similarly, the most familiar species of broad-tailed
Australian Parrakeet, known in English as the Rosella,

4 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

is called in scientific language Platycercus eximius, eximius
being a Latin word meaning "excellent," on account
of the striking beauty of this showy bird.

In commencing this subject, I mentioned that indivi-
duals of a species usually produced young like themselves.
But they do not always do so ; the Ring-necked Parra-
keet, for instance, not unfrequently produces a yellow
young bird, quite different from its ordinary green off-
spring. Such an individual is said to belong to a variety
of the species ; it came from green parents, and for all
we know, may, if it has the chance, produce green young
in its turn — may " throw back," as breeders say.

If, however, common green Parrakeets never produced
yellow young, and if in a certain district, all the Parra-
keets of a certain Palwornis type were yellow, we should
call this a species ; it would probably be known as
Palwornis luteus, luteus being the Latin for " yellow/'
We should presume that these birds were the offspring of
yellow parents, and would in their turn produce yellow
young — would " breed true," as is commonly said.

Every variety, therefore, has a chance of becoming
a species, and every species must have once been a
variety, if the theory of the evolution of species from
pre-existing species be admitted, as it is generally
now-a-days.

It will thus be seen that the distinction between species
and variety is a piece of zoological snobbery, so to speak ;
if a bird's antecedents are all right and a likeness has
been handed down from father to son indefinitely, as far
as we can see, he belongs to a " good species : " but if

CLASSIFICATION. O

he is convicted of having sprung from parents unlike
himself, he is a mere parvenu, stigmatized as a " variety,"
" aberration," or " sport."

Of course, such varieties have often been fixed by breed-
ing from them in captivity, as we shall see later ; and the
work of bird-fanciers and stock-breeders in this direction
has been of an importance which has never yet received
its due meed of praise and encouragement, considering
that by studying it Darwin was able to demonstrate
the possibility of the production of one form from another,
and thus to raise the study of zoology from a mere pastime
to a philosophy oi life.

The name descriptive of the particular species is, it
will be seen, placed under that of the genus, although
the opposite obtains in English and Hindustani. This
is simply because in Latin the adjective always follows
the substantive, as in so many other languages ; and all
scientific nomenclature follows the rules of Latin Gram-
mar, although the words are more often than not adopted
from the Greek. Besides which, it is certainly a great
convenience to have the generic name first, just as in
indexing a number of people's names one reverses the
usual order and puts the surname before the Christian
name.

If we carry our investigations into Parrots further, we
shall find a number of species, grouped again into genera-
tions which differ very much from the Indian long-tails
and Australian broad-tails. They have brush-tipped
tongues, run a great deal to red in colour, have a peculiar
smell, a sharp cry, and live on soft food, not on grain.

6 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

They are, we may say, quite a different family altogether,
and we give them a different family name, the Lories
(Loriidcz). This, of coarse, means the family of Lorius.
the native name Lori turned into Latin as the Romans
would have done it, if the)^ had ever seen a Lory.

But still the Lories are obviously Parrots of a sort,
and so we group their family, and the other family of
Psittacidce, together, and call the whole collection the
order of Parrots (Psittaci).

Thus, a collection of similar individuals make a species ;
collections of species, having a great deal in common
but differing in details, make a genus ; collections of
genera bearing a certain resemblance, make a family ;
and collections of families also agreeing in certain im-
portant points, make an order.

The various orders in conjunction with each other make
up the class of birds, which may be at once denned as
feathered animals, no other creature living or extinct
possessing feathers. A bony skeleton is shared by birds
with beasts, reptiles, and fishes, and in their general ana-
tomy they approach reptiles more closely than any other
class of backboned animals ; it will be remembered also
that reptiles, on their part, lay eggs like birds.

I shall conclude this chapter with a list of works of
reference for those who may wish to go further into the
subject than I am here taking them.

For the general subject of classification, anatomy,
etc., the best books are Professor A. Newton's Dictionary
of Birds, and Mr. F. E. Beddard's Structure and Classi-
fication of Birds.

BOOKS OP REFERENCE. 7

For Indian Birds, the Fauna of British India, the four
volumes dealing with birds. Dr. Jerdon's Birds of India
is admirable, but out of print. Of the British Museum
Catalogue of Birds, Volume XX, by Count T. Salvador!,
which treats of the Parrots of the world, will be most
useful. For the management of many foreign species
beyond those which are mentioned here, Dr. A. G. Butler's
Foreign Finches in Captivity, and Foreign Bird-keeping
may be profitably consulted.

CHAPTER II.

PASSERINE BIRDS.
THE CROWS, BABBLERS, AND BULBULS.

MORE than half of the known species of birds belong
to the great Passerine order, so called from the Latin
name of its most prominent member, Passer, the Spar-
row. Birds of this order are usually small, the Kaven
being the biggest, while some are almost the smallest of
birds. The Sparrow and Mynah represent fair average
sizes of Passerine birds.

They can always be distinguished by their feet ; the
foot of a Sparrow or Crow will serve as a model for all.
The shank is slight, and covered behind with long entire
plates, and before with a single row of large broad scales,
or even with one continuous horny plate ; there are three
toes before, unconnected by any web or other junction
and one behind, which, taking it with its claw, is as big
as or bigger than any of the rest.

The shank may be long or short, and the foot as a
whole large or small as compared with the bird's body,
but the style of scaling and proportion of the toes is always
unmistakeable. The shape, and the wings, tail, and
beak vary a great deal in Passerine birds ; but they always
have large heads in proportion to their size.

THE CROWS.

Their young are always hatched blind, helpless, and
naked or nearly so ; their nests are usually in a bush or
tree, and they live in pairs in the breeding season. They
are the most skilful nest-builders of all birds, and the
only ones which are commonly accounted songsters.
They bear captivity well, but are not so easy to breed in
that state as some groups of birds.

The order is divided into many families, which are not
always easy to distinguish, as there are many connecting
links.

THE CROWS.

Birds of the Crow family are .usually of a fair size ; they
have stout bills, garnished with bristly feathers at the
root, as may be easily seen in our old friend, the House-
Crow. Mail and female are alike, and the young only
differ in being duller.

That grey-headed scoundrel, the House-Crow (Corvus
splendens), and the " big black bounding beggar," his
jungle relative (Corvus macrorhynchus) need mention
only to be condemned. They will insist on one's studying
their habits, on account of their appalling propensity
for mischief ; and for this reason, and because of the fact
that they are deadly enemies to the eggs and young of
all birds weaker than themselves, they should be ban-
ished by all possible means from every bird-lover's
garden.

The Magpies, however, are of a better jat. They have
shorter wings, though longer tails, 'than Crows and are
smaller in size ; so, with the best will in the world to

10 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

commit it, they cannot get through the same amount of
mischief, while they are singularly ornamental.

THE COMMON INDIAN MAGPIE OR WANDERING TREEPIE
(Dendrocitta rufa), is well known as Bandichancha or
Kotrev to the natives of Bengal. This pretty bird is a
familiar garden visitor, and his short wings and long tail
make him conspicuous in his easy dipping flight. His
colour is also unmistakeable, being buff or cinnamon with
a sooty head and grey, black-tipped wings and tail. He
is an omnivorous feeder, and has been accused of des-
tructiveness to garden produce, but as he certainly
devours large numbers of insects, and also acts as a check
on the undue increase of small birds, he probably does
more good than harm. His notes are often very pretty,
and when taken young, he can be taught to speak — a
common accomplishment in the Crow family.

Hardly ever you will see him on the ground, and when
there he can only hop, not walking like the pied Magpie
at home.

The nest is built high up in a tree, and is open or cup-
shaped, as usual in this family ; the eggs, wlftch are spot-
ted, vary from pinkish to greenish in ground colour.

This bird is one of our commonest Indian species, being
found throughout India and Burma in the plains, and
ascending the hills up to 7,000 feet. The hill climate ap-
pears to agree with it, as hill birds are the largest in size.

The bird ordinarily measures about a foot and a half,
of which a foot is taken up by the tail.

THE RED-BILLED BLUE MAGPIE (Urocissa occipitalis),
is a splendid creature possessing a tail half-a-yard long,

CROWS. 11

with a body about the size of the House-Crows. In colour
the Blue Pie is a rich purple blue with the head and neck
jet black and the bill and feet scarlet. There is a white
patch at the back of the head, and the wings and tail
are tipped with white. The belly is also white, but with
a strong tinge of blue. On the whole this is certainly
the most beautiful member of the Crow family found in
any country. I have never seen this bird except in
captivity, but even so, its appearance- is so striking that
I can sympathize with the great admiration expressed
by those friends of mine who have seen it flying at large.
In the Indian hills it ranges from five thousand feet to a
considerably higher elevation, being common near some
of our stations ; but in Burma, where it is also found, it
inhabits the plains as well. It is constantly brought
down to Calcutta in the winter and does well in captivity
there. Specimens can be bought at the proper season
for about ten rupees or less ; and a few have reached
Europe, where they would probably do well out doors in
mild climates.

The bird is known as Nilkhant at Mussoorie and Diggdall
at Simla. It builds at varying heights ; the nest is open,
but the eggs are greenish with brown spots like the English
Magpie's.

The so-called Australian Magpie is really a shrike, and
will be described under that heading. It is commonly
imported. The bird usually called the Blue-Jay in
India, is also wrongly named, being really a Koller :
it will be dealt with in its turn. Meanwhile it may
be mentioned that the real Jays are well represented in

12 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

our hills. They are birds with moderately long tails
like Crows, but short wings like Magpies. Like the
Magpies also, they are very ornamental, and rather useful
than harmful. Most of them have a strong general
resemblance to the English Jay, but one common species
is very distinct and striking.

THE BLACK-HEADED JAY (Garrulus lanceolatus), is
called Ban-sarmh by the Simla hill-men. I saw it com-
monly about Mussoorie. It is about the size of a pigeon,
of a delicate pinkish-drab, with black head, and wings
and tail most beautifully barred with black and blue,
and tipped with white. It is a showy bird, exposing
itself freely and often playing on the wing above the
trees. It is found all over the Himalayas, ranging to
8,000 feet in summer, and coming as low down as Dehra
in winter. It builds an open nest in medium-sized trees
and lays greenish-white eggs with brown spots. Some
birds are brought down alive to Calcutta every winter.

Magpies and Jays make the best of aviary birds ^ for
cages they are too large and dirty. They can be kept
together, and with other birds well able to take care of
themselves, such as the larger Mynahs and Babblers ;
small birds they would eat without compunction. They
should, indeed, always have some raw animal food, as
noted in the final chapter on management. Fruit is also
needful ; but almost any cooked food will do as the daily
diet for these omnivorous birds, and an aviary can be
kept going on house scraps. Inch-mesh wire-netting will
be suitable for birds of this size, and any mice or sparrows
that get through will stand an excellent chance of never

THE TITS. 13

getting out again. Care should be taken that they do not
stow away enough of their food to let it get offensive ; for
they are of provident habits and will hide away scraps as
readily as a dog. Worthless objects are also secreted
with care ; a pair of Blue Magpies at the Calcutta Zoo
some years ago used to amuse us much by their methodical
way of folding pieces of paper and putting them away.
THE TITS.

The Tits are now-a-days classed near the Crows, and in
many of their habits may be called Jays in miniature.
They resemble Jays in shape, though not so big as Spar-
rows ; male and female are alike, and the young only a
little duller ; and the nostrils are covered at the root
with bristles, as in the Crows. Tits are as omnivorous in
their way as Crows are, and have the same tricks of hold-
ing down their food with their feet, and of storing away
superfluities. But they usually build in holes, unlike
most of the Crow tribe. Most of the Tits in India are
hill-birds, and will be recognized as a group by many
people, the family being so familiar at home. • Almost
all the species are different, however ; here there is only
room to allude to two.

THE YELLOW-CHEEKED TIT (Machlolophus xantho-
yenys), is a thick-set little bird about five inches long with
a full crest, black throat, and yellow face and breast,
the latter marked with a black central streak ; the back
is olive-green and the wings and tail slaty-grey.

This bird is found throughout the Himalayas at
moderate elevations and breeds in April and May, laying
four or five red-spotted white eggs in a hole. It is the

14 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

only Tit I have seen in confinement here, several having
been brought down to Calcutta of late years. It does
well as a captive, and from its beauty and active move-
ments is a nice pet. But it should not be trusted with
birds no larger than itself, as it has murderous procli-
vities, like Tits in general — another proof of their
relationship to the blackguard Crow. Tits in confine-
ment should have hemp-seed and cracked nuts in addition
to the usual food of small insectivorous birds. Co'coanut
shells should be provided for them to sleep in, and two,
even of the same species, should not be put together
without great caution.

THE INDIAN GREY TIT (Parus atriceps), called in Ben-
gali Ram-gangra, is grey above and dirty white below,
the head and breast, with a streak running down from
the latter, are black except for the pure white cheeks.
Young birds have a strong yellow tinge throughout the
plumage. This bird is a little smaller than a sparrow ;
it is the most widely-spread of Indian Tits, being found
nearly all over India and Burmah, and frequenting both
hills and plains. It breeds from March to June, laying
about half-a-dozen eggs, pinky-white with red spots, in
any convenient hole in a tree, wall, or even bank. It
has a very wide range outside our Empire, being found
north to Turkestan and south to the Malay Islands.

THE BABELERS.

These form the most numerous group of Indian birds
and are, of all the smaller fry, the most interesting in my
opinion, whether at large or in the aviary.

THE BABBLERS. 15

They vary a good deal in size, but there is something
about their general style which marks them off at once
when seen in life, though, as skins in a museum collection,
they are not so easy to separate. They have very short
rounded wings, and rather long tails as a rule ; their
plumage is lax and fluffy, not close and sleek, and their
legs and feet are strong, not to say coarse. Their bills
are moderate in size ; not actually slender, but not thick
like a Crow's. The Peko or Chinese Mocking-bird on
Plate III (Fig. 3) will give a good general idea of them,
and few are larger than this.

They usually go about in parties, and have a weak
flight, never going far at a time, and often whirring and
skimming alternately, like Partridges. They feed mostly
on insects, and take hold of their food in one foot, if they
wish to break it up. On trees or on the ground they are
very active, moving about by long hops, for very few of
them run. Males and females are alike in colour, and
the young resemble them. They are very affectionate
and constantly caress each other with their bills.

THE SAT-BHAI (Crateropus canorus), is the most familiar
of the larger Babblers, the native name, which of course
means seven brothers, having been practically accepted
as English. I have not thought it necessary to figure
this common bird ; everyone must have noticed it, with its
pale-drab, dust-coloured plumage, cunning-looking white
eyes, and sickly-white legs and bill. It is found all over
India in the plains and low down in the hills, and comes
freely into gardens, making its presence known obtrusively
by a squeaky babbling varied by hysterical outbursts.

16 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

In confinement it is very easy to tame, will eat table
scraps readily, and is amusing for a time ; but nobody
would want to keep such a frowsy unmusical creature for
long, interesting as its habits undoubtedly are. Birds
'which I turned out after studying them for some time
remained so tame that they would still take food from
the hand ; and I imagine that a hand-reared one would
make a very nice pet. The nest is an open cup-shaped
one, placed low down, and the eggs are of a most lovely
blue. In Bengal this bird is called Chataria.

THE RAT-BIRD (Argya caudata) is a less common and
smaller species with a long Magpie-like tail, and coloured
like a hen-Sparrow. It gets its popular name from the
rat-like appearance given by the said tail as it skulks
along the ground from bush to bush. This is also a bird
of the plains, but not nearly so bold or so common as the
Sat-bhai. Its nest and eggs are of the same type.

THE STREAKED LAUGHING-THRUSH (Trochalopterum
lineatum] is very common in the Himalayas up to 9,000
feet, and is common about houses at Mussoorie.

In shape it resembles the common Babbler of the plains,
but is rather smaller. Its plumage is darker, being a
streaky mixture of grey and chestnut ; the eyes, bill
and feet are dark, and the tail has distinct light-grey
tips. It is a tame but most uninteresting bird, and has
a feeble note. The eggs are blue, as usual in this group,
and the nest low down.

The hills form the home of several large and showy
species of this group, often called Jay-Thrushes, a name
which well expresses their attributes. The most striking is

PLATE II.

Ont-haJj' Xnlti.r

1, — BROWN SHRIKE (Brown, butf below, black eye stripe). 2.— BLACK-HEADED OIUOLE (Black and
yellow). 3.— NUTMEG-BIRD (Brown, white and black below). 4.— PIED MYNAH (Black and
white).

THE BABBLERS. 17

THE Wngfc:-CRESTED LAUGHING-THRUSH (Garrulax
leucolopkus), a bird of nearly the size of a pigeon. In
colour it is dark- brown, with the full crest, the neck and
breast pure white, and a black mark along each side of
the head. The bill and feet are also black. Altogether
it reminds one of a lady in evening dress with her hair
powdered and wearing a black mask. Its manners,
however, although attractive, are not exactly lady-like ;
for it is a boisterous, rollicking bird, going about in large
parties which continuously explode in fits of laughter,
the curiously human sound of which is most infectious !
In an aviary it keeps up this character, and is a most
excellent inmate, although not to be trusted with weak
birds, even of its own kind. It inhabits the Himalayas
from Garhwal to Arrakan, but does not range above
6,000 feet. In Pegu and Tenasserim a species with more
white on the under-surface takes its place (Garrulax
belangeri), but the two are much alike. Both lay white
eggs in an open nest in a bush.

The Himalayan bird is plentifully brought down to
Calcutta in winter, and live specimens can then be easily
obtained, together with some other species of large Bab-
blers. All will do well together in an aviary with
Magpies, Jays and large Mynahs, and such a collection, if
the aviary be large enough, will be found easy to keep and
the most picturesque and interesting that could be found.
But none of these birds are suited for small aviaries.

Only one of the large Babblers has much repute as a
songster, and this may almost always be procured in
Calcutta.

P, GAB 2*

18 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

THE PEKO OR CHINESE MOCKING-BIRD (Dryonastes
Chinensis) is figured on Plate III, as mentioned on
page 15.

This bird is a really fine musician, having singularly
pure and plaintive tones ; it is also an admirable mimic,
and, when tame enough, delights in being caressed. It
will live many years in a cage, and is the most easily
kept of all the non-seed-eating cage-birds. At the same
time it always seems to me a pity not to give this lively
and sociable bird the happier life that an aviary affords.
It is chiefly known in India as a foreign bird, being
imported from China, but it is found in South Pegu and
Tenasserim.

Few of the Babblers are as large as most of those I
have been describing.

THE BLACK-HEADED SIBIA (Lioptila capistrata) is, al-
though nearly nine inches long, a slight, graceful crea-
ture ; it is figured on Plate IV (Fig. 5). It is a very com-
mon bird in the hills up to 8,000 feet, being particularly
numerous about Darjeeling. It comes to the ground
less than most Babblers, and is fairly strong on the wing ;
indeed, it is, all round, a most remarkably active bird,
and so dexterous that I have seen it turn right round its
perch without letting go.

This peculiarity makes it a very nice aviary bird,
although it is not brilliant in colour nor particularly tame.
It may frequently be obtained from Calcutta dealers
during the winter months.

The bird breeds in the hills from May to July, building
a cup-shaped nest of moss and fibres, and laying pale

THE BABBLERS. 19

green eggs with reddish spots. Sibya is its name among
the Nepaulese.

THE LIOTHRIX (Liothrix luteus) is figured on Plate V
(Fig. 4). It is about the size of a Sparrow, and differs
strikingly from other members of its family in having
a strongly forked tail and particularly smooth and sleek
plumage. In addition to the colours mentioned on the
plate, the beautiful orange-streaked wings, coral-red
bill and black eye make it very easy to recognize.

The males are brighter than the females, sufficiently so
to make it no very difficult matter to pick out a pair.
This charming little bird is the best known of all Babblers
in captivity ; many are sold in Calcutta every winter,
and many more sent to England ; in both cases the birds
are usually obtained from China, though the bird is also
common all along our hills at 8,000 feet or lower. It is
one of the commonest birds about Darjeeling, where
its peculiar five-noted call " tee-tee-tee-tee-tee " will
probably be heard before the bird is seen, as it is de-
cidedly a skulker.

Dealers usually know it as the China Eobin, but
although it certainly looks like a Robin, it has a very
different disposition and habits. It is a timid, harm-
less bird, very sociable even with other species and re-
markably intelligent. In a cage it is decidedly nervous,
but in an aviary becomes very much at home, and shows
great inquisitiveness. Many specimens become so tame
that they will take food from the fingers when led to
the aviary wires. The cock has a very sweet song, very
strong for the size of the bird, and altogether it is the

20 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

most generally attractive small bird I know of — every-
one seems to admire it. It is easy to keep for it will eat
seed and fruit as well as insects, and therefore, like most
omnivorous birds, does well on artificial food. Specimens
may be had in Calcutta during the winter months at
about two rupees each. In England, it fetches about
the same price, and is called the Pekin Robin or even
the " Japanese Nightingale." Although so easy to keep,
it does not breed readily in captivity. In a wild state,
it builds an open nest in a bush, and lays pale-green eggs
with red, brown and purple spots. This would be a most
suitable species for acclimatization in all warm temperate
climates.

THE BLUE-WINGED SIVA (Siva cyanuroptera) is a bird
of very similar size, but more elegant form, its tail, which
is not forked, being longer. The Siva is of a fawn-brown
above, and nearly white below, with beautiful blue wings
and tail ; the bill is yellowish, and the eyes brown. It
has much the same range in our hills as the Liothrix,
but is not found out of 'India. In captivity it is com-
paratively scarce, and is not quite so easy to keep, not
caring about seed. However, it is not by any means a
delicate bird. Very few, however, have as yet reached
England alive, and it is well worth taking home. In its
nesting habits it much resembles the Liothrix.

There are many charming small Babblers in the hills
but in the plains few are found. Two, however, need
notice here.

THE IORA (Aegiihina tiphia), called Shoubiga, Tofik
or Fatikjal by the natives, is a common bird all over the

THE BABBLERS. 21

plains, but is not much seen, as it keeps on the trees.
Its very sweet, flute-like note, however, often reveals
its presence. It is a fluffy, short-tailed little thing, smaller
than a Sparrow. The bird figured in the Plate IV (Fig. 4)
is a cock in breeding plumage ; some are more and others
less black than this, according to locality, the Southern
Indian birds being the darkest. The hens are simply
olive-green above and yellow below, with two white bars
on the wing, and the cock in winter also becomes olive-
green, but keeps his black wings and tail. Young birds
resemble the female. They are occasionally reared by
natives in Bengal and kept caged : but they are delicate,
although very tame and nice little pets. I have never
seen an old bird which had been tamed. The species
seems to be altogether an insect-feeder, and hence is not
a good subject for captivity. It begins to breed about
May, and builds a particularly neat and beautiful little
nest, a cup formed of fine fibres and coated outside with
cobweb. The eggs are greyish-white marked with brown.

Another small Babbler of the plains though not one
of our very commonest birds in the wild state, yet
deserves notice, as it makes a most charming cage-bird
when hand-reared. This is

THE YELLOW-EYED BABBLER (PyctorUs sinensis), a
little creature rather smaller in the body than a Sparrow,
but with a long tail. Its colour is cinnamon-brown above,
and white, shading into buff, below ; and it has a stout,
curved black bill, and yellow eggs and eyelids. The
eyes are also yellow, whence the native name Gulab-
chasm.

22 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

This bird is found all over the Empire, but does not
ascend the hills to any height ; it prefers grass to any
other cover, and is less gregarious than most Babblers,
going singly or in pairs. It has some very pretty notes,
and looks very striking when uttering them with erected
head-plumage, the pure white throat looking like a beard.
In captivity it is mischievous and quarrelsome ; it is not
wise to put more than a pair together, or to associate
them with birds as small as themselves. Two caged
birds of this kind I kept singly were absurdly tame ;
one would let itself be tickled through the bars with one's
ringer, and the other could be even taken up in the hand
and allowed to fly about, when it would fearlessly ex-
plore one's person. I have removed it from my mous-
tache three times in quick succession. Taken altogether,
if all Gulab-chasms are anything like these two birds, the
species can hardly be excelled as a pet. But, as a true
insect-feeder, its food of course will give a little trouble.

It breeds from May to September, building a cup-
shaped nest of grass and bark fibre in long grass or a low
tree. The eggs are pinkish-white with red blotches.

THE WHITE-EYE OR SPECTACLE BIRD (Zosterops pal-
pebrosa) is shown at the top of Plate V (Fig. 2), and is
the smallest and most wide-spread of all our Babblers.
This little creature is rather of a different build than
Babblers generally, having longer wings and shorter tail ;
but its sociable, cuddlesome habits, and the fact that
several small birds which are undoubted Babblers closely
approach it, settle its relationship easily enough. The
white ring round the eye and the olive-yellow plumage

THE BULBULS. 23

with white belly will easily distinguish it from all other
Indian birds. It is found all over India, both on hills
and plains ; in Burma and China a species or variety with
a greener back (Zosterops simplex) is also found. This
is frequently brought to the Calcutta bazar, where the
dealers often try to sell it as a " Humming-bird " ! It
makes an excellent cage-companion for the little Waxbills,
and has a sweet little note of its own. Soft fruit, bread
and milk, and small insects are all it requires, and it is
so easy to keep that a good many specimens are sent to
Europe.

The nest of the Indian variety is most commonly found
in April ; it may be at any height, and is a very delicate
little structure, made of -cobwebs and vegetable fibres
and suspended like a miniature hammock in a forked
twig. Only two eggs are laid, of a pale blue.

THE BULBULS.

The Bulbuls are usually classed as a distinct family
from the Babblers, and this arrangement I shall follow
here, although, as in the Fauna of British India, they come
next in order of treatment. Bulbuls are birds of very
graceful form and movements ; in size they are rather
larger than Sparrows ; their wings are short but broad,
and their tails are long, and nearly even at the tip, instead
of being forked or tapering as is usually the case with
longish tails. Their bills are rather slight than stout and
of moderate length ; their legs are decidedly short. They
usually have crests, bushy or pointed, as the case may be.
Cock and hen are alike in plumage.

24 GARDEN AND AVIAEY BIRDS.

The White-eared Bulbul shown on Plate V (Fig. 3)
will give a good general idea of their appearance, and
they are all much of the same style, and easy to recognize.
Usually they have a patch of bright colour under the tail.
They are sociable birds, with a graceful, but not rapid
flight ; they seldom come on the ground, where they look
awkward hopping about on their short legs; but on trees
and bushes they are lively and active, and quite the most
ornamental small birds in India, although their colours are
usually sober. They feed mostly on fruit, berries, buds,
etc., and are not to be encouraged in a fruit and vegetable
garden ; but they take insects also, and feed the young
on these. They do not hold their food in their feet like
Babblers. Their nests are open and made of twigs and
fibres and their eggs are usually pink with red spots. One
or other species is found all over India, and Africa has
many species of its own as well. In captivity they are
easy to keep on any soft food and fruit, but unless hand-
reared are usually wild and uninteresting, and not at all
desirable.

THE COMMON RED-VENTED BULBUL (Molpastes ben-
galensis), is one of the most familiar birds in Calcutta.
This is a largish bird as Bulbuls go, being about nine
inches long, and very picturesque in appearance, with its
full black crest and black tail tipped with white and set
off by a white patch over the root and a crimson one below ;
the general body colour is drab with light edges, running
into jet black on the head and neck. The young birds
are more rusty in colour, and have the patch under the
tail cinnamon instead of red. When taken from the nest

THE BULBULS. 25

just before they can fly, they are easily reared, and make
very nice pets, becoming so tame that they can be left
at complete liberty, when they will follow one about.
The natives keep this bird for fighting, confined by a soft
string tied round the middle of its body. All over India
Bulbuls resembling this type, but not quite so large and
with black more restricted to the head, are among the
commonest birds ; and for the purpose of this little work
it is not necessary to go into the rather minute distinctions
between them.

THE RED-WHISKERED BULBUL is a very striking type
of bird, which is found in two species or varieties. Its
size is less than that of the dark red-vented Bulbuls, and
its back brown, while its underparts are pure white ; in
Western India there is a dark band across the breast and
no white tips to the tail-feathers, while in the Bengal and
Burmese birds the white is unbroken, and the tail has
white tips. The former species is Otocompsa fuscicaudata,
and the latter Otocompsa emeria. The long black crest,
red cheek-patches, and red patch under the tail, which
both possess, mark them off at once and make them
easily recognizable. Young birds have no red on the
cheeks and have buff under the tail where the red will
show later.

Where Bulbuls have to be kept away from a garden, it
is worth while to keep this species in an aviary, for it is
active as well as showy, and sufficiently striking to look
well in confinement. The Red-vented Bengal and other
dark species look rather dingy when shut up ; like so many
birds, they only look their best at large.

26 GARDEK AND AVIARY BIRDS.

THE BLACK-CRESTED YELLOW BULBUL (Otocompsa
Jlaviventris). This bird has a peak-crest like the last one,
and is of about the same size, but very different in colour,
having very fluffy plumage of an olive-yellow all over,
except the head which is glossy black ; the bill and feet
are black as in Bulbuls generally, but the eyes, instead
of being dark as usual, are bright yellow, which gives the
bird a very wicked look. This does not belie its disposi-
tion, for it is more quarrelsome than other Bulbuls, al-
though its bill and feet are smaller in proportion, and is
apt to bully both its own kind and others. It therefore
needs a little looking after, but it is worth some trouble, as
it is not only striking in appearance but much tamer than
Bulbuls are generally. It is rather widely distributed in
India, but local ; and only a few specimens turn up from
time to time in captivity. Few have been sent to Eng-
land, so that it is worth taking home. The same consi-
deration applies to

THE WHITE-CHEEKED BULBUL (Molpastes leucogenys)
which is, however, a common bird along our hills from
Murree to Bhutan, up to about 7,000 feet elevation. It
is very common and tame in Kashmir, and is known in
Chamba as Painju. This bird is, to my taste, the pret-
tiest of all the Bulbuls ; it is nearly eight inches long, and
of a drab colour, with a black throat, and lemon-yellow
patch under the tail, which appendage is tipped with
white ; there is also a white patch on each side of the face.
The eyes are large and dark, and the crest full, with each
feather pointed and gracefully curled up. It is not parti-
cularly tame in confinement, unfortunately, but its beauty

THE BULBULS. 27

renders it a very desirable bird where it can be viewed at
close quarters. I should think, also, that being a hill-bird
it would be particularly suitable to any one who would
like on retiring to keep Bulbuls in a garden aviary at home.
It might be better called the Curled-crested Bulbul, for
its cheeks are not nearly so conspicuously white as those
of the next Bulbul on my list.

THE WHITE-EARED BULBUL (Molpastes leucotis), called
Bhooroo in Sindh and Kushandra in the Punjab, is figured,
as above remarked, on Plate V (Fig. 3), and I need not
further describe it, though attention may be drawn to the
shortness and bushiness of its crest, and to the rich yellow
of the patch under the tail, which is quite of a saffron
tint. A bird just like it, but with a much longer and
more pointed crest and sulphur yellow under tail-patch,
was once got by Mr. Hume at Jalalpoor near Jhelum in
the Punjab, and has been described by Mr. Gates as a new
species, under the name of Molpastes humii. It would be
very interesting to get hold of more specimens of this form,
for so far only the one is known, and it may perhaps be
only a " sport " or variety, though it would not be any the
less interesting on that account. The ordinary White-eared
Bulbul has a wide range in the dry north-western and
central parts of India, and extends into Persia to the
westward. Persian birds are noted to be finer songsters
than Indian, and make very nice cage pets. This is,
indeed, the nicest cage or aviary bird of all the Bulbuls,
being of an unusually tame and friendly disposition even
when caught old. It is also unusually intelligent ; I
remember a bird which I had only had a day or so escaping

28 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

from its cage and coming back to it the next day.
I should say, that a hand-reared bird of this species
would be a charming pet, and in any case its tameness
and vocal powers strongly recommend it to the fancier.
I have never seen it wild, but it may not unfrequently
be bought in Calcutta. In confinement, at any rate,
it likes to roost at night in a hole instead of perching like
most Bulbuls.

THE GREEN BULBULS, or Harewas, as they are called
by the natives, are classed in the Fauna, of British India
volumes among the Babblers, but Mr. E. C. S. Baker
has given good reasons for keeping them among the
Bulbuls still. In this I thoroughly agree ; these birds
have the characteristic short legs of Bulbuls, and they do
not use their feet in feeding as Babblers do. However,
they are certainly very different in some respects from
the typical Bulbuls, though they do not thereby approach
the Babblers at all. They have no trace of a crest, their
bills are long and curved, and they have a long tongue,
which they protrude to suck up liquid food. They are
much more active on their feet among the twigs than
other Bulbuls, and have a stronger and more vigorous flight.
They are not rare birds, but their colour makes them
hard to see among the trees.

THE GOLD-FRONTED HAREWA (CMoropsis aurifrons)
is the best known of them all ; it has a wide range through
the sub-Himalayan tracts, Eastern Bengal, and Burma,
extending to Cambodia. Moreover, it is often caged, and
may commonly be bought in Calcutta. The figure
(Fig. 5) on Plate V will give an idea of its general form,

THE BULBULS. 29

but its beautiful colouring must be seen to be appreciated
The grass-green of the body is most beautifully set off by
the brilliant orange forehead and purple-blue throat, the
latter surrounded by a black bib or gorget. At the bend
of the wing is a patch of shining turquoise-blue, which,
however, is only to be seen when the bird is excited.
The whole plumage, though close and sleek, is wonderfully
fluffy and abundant. Cock and hen are alike, but the
young have no black or orange about the head and hardly
any blue, being practically green all over.

The Harewa is one of those birds which universally
attract a well-deserved admiration. The specimens offered
for sale are often hand-reared, and then are most charm-
ingly tame, advancing and pecking gently at one's finger
without the slightest fear, and even when turned loose in
an aviary, they retain this pleasant familiarity and always
come up for notice. They will do well in a cage, but of
course better still in a large space, and their feeding
presents no great difficulty, as long as it be remembered
that the food should be soft. Bread-and-milk sop, milk
puddings and soft fruit such as plantain, custard-apple
and papya, is quite sufficient for them, with the daily
addition of a few insects. Moreover, in addition to its
beauty, the Harewa has the recommendation of being a
songster, with great powers of mimicry ; Mr. Rutledge
told me he knew of one which could render the song
of the Nightingale perfectly. There is one drawback,
however, to this lovely bird, and that is its very savage
temper in some cases. In the wild stage Mr. Baker has
seen two of these birds fight to death, and another couple

30 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

defy law and order by hustling a King-Crow, of all birds !
And in confinement it is difficult to get two to live together ;
while some specimens are perfectly impossible companions
for other small birds, savagely driving them about and
not allowing them to feed. Many individuals, however,
are quite peaceable with other birds, and a true pair will
live together in harmony.

CHAPTER III.

PASSERINE BIRDS — continued.
SHRIKES, MYNAHS, ORIOLES, ETC.

THE DRONGOS.

THIS small family stand very much by themselves in
most classifications, but there can be little doubt that
they are simply peculiar-looking Shrikes, and I put them
here simply out of deference to the order followed in the
Fauna of British India bird volumes, where they are given
family rank as usual. Certainly no one can mistake a
Drongo for any other Shrike or small bird of any kind, the
usually jet-black plumage and long-forked tail making
it conspicuous at once. The bill is strong and rather like
a Crow's on a small scale, and the legs and feet short but
powerful and sharply clawed. The wings are of medium
length, and the birds though they cannot rival Swallows
and such-like birds in the air, are nevertheless very active
and graceful flyers, and remarkably clever at aerial evolu-
tions. They feed on insects, and make sallies from a fixed
perch, returning to it on completing their capture. If
the prey is too big to be swallowed whole, they hold it in
one foot, while tearing it into pieces, like many other
Shrikes. Both male and female have the same plumage,
and the young merely differ in being spotted with white
below.

32 GARDEN AND AVIAEY BIRDS.

In disposition the Drongos are very different from the
sociable birds I have been describing, being fierce and
quarrelsome. They usually sit alone, and wage war
against intruders whom they disapprove of in a very
noticeable way. They build high up in trees, the nest
being open and cup-shaped, and the eggs are pale with
reddish spots.

There are not many species of Drongos, though they
are widely distributed in the warm regions of the Old
World, and here it will only be necessary to deal with two
of them.

THE KING-CROW (Dicrurus ater) is, with his jet-black
plumage and forked tail, one of the most familiar and
conspicuous of Indian birds, and rejoices in a number
of native names. Thus in Bengal he is called Finga, in
Southern India, Buchanga, and in the Deccan, most
appropriately, Kotwal. For he certainly acts the part of
a police-officer among the birds, being, in spite of his
small size (for although he is a foot long, half of this is
tail), a terror to kites and crows, and exercising a general
supervision over the feathered community. All over
India in the plains and up to 5,000 feet in the hills, the
King-Crow exerts his sway, and he must bless the English
Government for providing him with telegraph wires to
sit on and act as overseer in comfort. Nevertheless, he
is more adaptable than other Drongos, which seem never
to come to the ground, and if there is not a tree, wire,
fence, post, cow, or sheep to sit on, he will sit about
on terra-firma and look out for the grasshoppers, etc.,
which form his food. It may be this readiness to make

THE DRONGOS. 33

the best of things which has given him such a wide range,
for he is found all through Africa south of the Sahara
and east of India and Burma he goes to Southern China :
He is not a songster, but some of his notes are very
pleasant ; he begins them at daybreak before most birds,
although he is at the same time very late in going to
roost.

The hens of the species are remarkable for laying eggs
of two quite different types, either pale salmon-colour
with brownish-red spots or pure white without any spots
at all. I presume the white spotting, which certainly
distinguishes the young birds, must appear after they
leave the nest, for I never saw a nestling with it.

Although it would be cruel and absurd to cage so active
and common a bird as this, especially as his habits render
him an undesirable companion for other species, yet a
hand-reared nestling King-Crow would probably make a
very nice pet to fly about at large, and would protect
the young poultry by driving off the crows and kites.

THE BHIMRAJ OR RACKET-TAILED DRONGO (Dissemurus
paradiseus). — This is the only one member of the Drongo
family which is at all commonly kept in confinement and
it is certainly a most interesting pet. It is about twice
as large as the King-Crow, with a strong crow-like bill,
a crest of narrow feathers rising from the forehead and
gracefully curving back, a ruff of hackles round the neck,
and each outer tail-feather of a remarkable length, up to
more than a foot and a half. Most of this is bare shaft,
there being only about a couple of inches of webbing at
the tip, like a tassel. The rest of the tail is of quite
F, GAB 3

34 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

ordinary length, less than seven inches long. The big
side-streamers are not fully developed the first season,
and, of course, are usually broken off in the miserable little
cages in which these poor birds are usually kept.

The plumage of the Bhimraj is of the usual Drongo blue-
black, young birds having a few white spots under the
wing. The bill and feet are also black; but once I saw
in Mr. Rutledge's possession a most curious variety
which had an ivory-white beak, contrasting very well with
the black plumage. The only other sign of albinism the
bird showed was that some of its secondary wing-feather
and its two hind-claws were also white. White claws
and white feathers are not so very uncommon among
these birds, I fancy ; but I never saw any such variation
in the humbler King-Crow, though Mr. B. B. Osmaston
once showed me the two wings of an ash-grey specimen
of the latter bird which he had shot.

The Bhimraj is found over a large part of India and
extends east through Burma to the Malay Peninsula. It
is a jungle-haunting bird, and more sociable than Drongos
generally. Mr. Gates states that it is probably the finest
song-bird in the East. In confinement it is very friendly
and fond of notice, and the best of all pet birds. But it
must have a large cage — about three feet square — and
plenty of live insects, or it will not thrive long. It is
well worth taking trouble over, as it is a most perfect
mimic, giving the cries. and songs of all sort of birds and
other animals, whistling tunes perfectly, and occasionally
even talking. It is a very good aviary bird if kept along
with such birds as Jays, large Babblers, etc., for it is too

THE WARBLERS. 35

predatory in disposition to be trusted with birds smaller
than itself. Taken altogether, there is hardly any bird
more interesting to the fancier.

THE WARBLERS.

The Warblers form a very numerous family of birds,
spread all over the Old World. More than a hundred are
found in our Empire either as residents or winter visitors,
but as they are insignificant little birds, generally smaller
than sparrows, and of a plain olive-green or brown in
colour, they do not attract attention, especially as they
keep close in the trees and bushes, searching for insects
on which they live. One of our resident Warblers is,
however, an exception, being a very noticeable and well-
known bird.

THE TAILOR-BIRD (Orthotomus sutorius), called Phutki in
Hindustani and Tuntuni in Bengali, is at home in every
garden as well as in low jungles and bushy grass-land all
over India, Ceylon, and Burma ; it ranges east to Siam
and China, but does not go more than 4,000 feet up the
Himalayas. The figure on Plate IV (Fig. 3) will give
a good idea of the male in his summer or breeding plum-
age. After the breeding season his tail becomes shorn of
its long feathers, and is then shorter than his body instead
of longer, as the hen's always is. Both have the same
colour ; but the plumage of the young is slightly duller,
and the chestnut cap barely indicated in them.

Many Warblers are good songsters, but the Tailor-
bird is not one of these ; he has, however, an astonishingly
loud call-note, " to-whit, to-whit" which draws attention
to him at once. Also although his wings are short and

36 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

weak he is not at all shy or skulking in habits, so that he
is really a conspicuous little bird as he hops about the
bushes or on the ground with his tail cocked up perpendi-
cularly. He is a useful little insect destroyer, and has
long been famed for his skill in nest-building. Fixing
upon a big leaf, or two or three growing close together if
one is not enough, he makes a cup or case by putting the
edges of the leaf or leaves together, actually sewing
them into place, by thread passed through holes bored
by his bill. The thread is usually cocoon-silk, but the
bird will steal cotton ends if he can get them. Exactly
how this remarkable sewing feat is done does not appear
to be recorded, and the birds are so wary that though I
have lived for some years in a compound where they
breed, I have not even seen the nest in situ, much
leas observed their way of working. Inside the leaf-cup
is made a little nest of plant-down, hair, etc., and three
or four tiny eggs, spotted with red on a reddish-white
or bluish-green ground, are laid in it.

The young Tailor-birds when fledged and out of the
nest, are very tame. I have not succeeded in rearing
any myself, but I have seen birds of this species which
had been nest-reared and were being kept caged ; they
should be fed as recommended for the Shama, but are not
worth the trouble of keeping unless to send to the London
Zoological Gardens, which have never yet been able to
exhibit this well-known bird.

THE SHRIKES.

The Shrikes are a family of insect-eating birds, found
everywhere except in South America, and varying much

THE SHRIKES. 37

in size and form. Generally speaking, however, they
have a strong, hooked bill, a large head, rather a long
tail, small feet, and wings of medium length. The
larger ones often devour small vertebrate animals such
as mice, lizards, and little birds, holding their prey in
one foot, or sometimes impaling it on a thorn. Young
Shrikes are noticeable for having a plumage marked with
dark bars. Many of this family are found in India, but
only two can be noticed here.

THE BROWN SHRIKE (Lanius cristatus), figured on
Plate II (Fig. 1), may be taken as an example of the
typical Shrikes or Butcher-birds, called in Hindustani
generally Latora ; the brown species is known as Kher
Khetta, or in Bengali Kakhati. This bull-headed, dark-
faced bird is found in winter all over the empire, and about
Calcutta at any rate its harsh chattering notes are a wel-
come indication of the speedy advent of the cold weather.
The male and female are alike in plumage, but the
young are marked with dark bars, and most individuals
show some of these, so the markings must take years to
disappear. This bird has a steady, level flight, and
watches for its food from its perch, keeping much to the
same locality during its stay with us. It is fond of cock-
roaches, and will readily come down to pick these up if
thrown out for it. Other birds do not seem to fear it,
but I have seen it attack a weakly Sun-bird. •

It is suspected of breeding with us at times, and some
individuals are known to stay all the year round, but its
real summer home is in Tibet, Mongolia, and Siberia.
Our other typical Shrikes are much finer and showier

38 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

birds than this species, plumaged [m French-grey black,
white, and chestnut, but with an unmistakeable family
resemblance to their sombre relative. They all have
similar habits, solitary and sedentary, with harsh voices
and a deadly grip of bill. They are most useful birds in
either field or garden, and should be rigidly protected
for their services in destroying grass-hoppers, mice, etc.
Those that breed with us make large open nests in trees
or bushes, and lay greenish-white eggs with brown
spots.

THE SHORT-BILLED MINIVET (Pericrocotus brevirostris),
figured on Plate IV (Fig. 1) is a type of a quite different
style of Shrike. The Mini vets, often called Rajah Lai,
are birds of a harmless disposition only preying on insects ;
their bills and feet are weak, their wings rather long, and
the tails decidedly so, with the centre pairs of feathers
much the longest. They go about in parties, fluttering
from bough to bough, and clinging to the twigs in search
of insects. In most species the sexes are absolutely
different in colour, though both are very pretty, the males
being red-and-black and the females yellow-and-grey.
The young are like the hens, but barred like other young
Shrikes.

The Short-billed Minivet is a very widely-spread and
common species, being found all along the Himalayas and
parts of the plains adjacent to them. It ranges up to
10,000 feet and extends south to Karennee, Arrakan
and the Salween River. Eastern male specimens are
a deeper and richer red than western ones. The male is
the sex represented in the Plate : the hen is yellow

THE SHRIKES. 39

where he is red, and also has a yellow throat and fore-
head ; her wings and tail are brown where the male's
are black, and her crown and back of a grey-green
hue.

With the Minivets it is common to see one red bird with
a small flock of yellow ones — no doubt the old pair and
their brood ; the natives, however, put a different inter-
pretation on it, and call one species the " beloved of seven
damsels."

I have seen the Short-billed Minivet in confinement,
brought down from the hills in consignments of small
birds from thence ; but the Minivets did not do very
well ; being true insect-feeders they need a great deal of
care, and I do not recommend anyone to keep them
except with a view to export. Such lovely and harmless
creatures surely deserve introduction into any country
where they could live if turned out at large. The nest
of this bird, like those of Minivets generally, is cup-shaped,
made of fine twigs coated outside with lichens, and placed
rather high up in a tree, the Minivets being thorough
tree-haunters, and not coming to the ground as many
Shrikes do. The eggs are three to five in number, spotted
with red and purple on a whitish ground. In the Hima-
layas the bird breeds in May or June.

THE PIPING-CROW SHRIKE OR AUSTRALIAN MAGPIE
(Gymnorhina tibicen)* is a Shriks of an entirely different
type again, of which we have no representatives in India ;
but as it is frequently imported, it deserves a notice here.
This " Magpie " only deserves its name by reason of its
pied plumage ; in form it rather resembles the common

40 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

House-Crow, which it equals in size. Its tail, however,
is a little shorter than the Crow's and as different as
possible from a real Magpie's lengthened appendage.
The bill of the Piping-Crow is stout at the root, but rapidly
tapers to the hooked tip, which is dark ; the rest of the
bill is of a peculiar bluish white, with no bristles at the
root as in a true Crow. Except for this peculiar beak,
which much resembles that of the Australian Butcher-
birds— birds which anyone could at once see to be Shrikes
— the Piping-Crow is much more Crow than Shrike to
look at, having a Crow's long legs and power of running
actively about on the ground. The markings of the
plumage are very peculiar, and unlike those of any other
bird. The head, feet, .all the underparts and the flanks,
are black ; so also are the wings, but they bear a white
patch ; the tail is white with a black tip, and there is a
white patch covering the back of the neck. The space
between neck and tail may be either black, white, or grey,
the black-backed birds coming from one part of Australia,
and the light-backed from another ; but it is doubtful
whether they are really distinct species, and for all prac-
tical purposes they may be reckoned as one. Male and
female are alike, but young birds are thickly mottled
with drab underneath, and in buying a bird which it is
intended to teach and make a pet of, this drab mottling
as a sign of youth, must be looked out for. An old bird,
however, will be found to have a most beautiful whistle
of its own, rich and varied, which alone makes the species
worth keeping, to say nothing of its being a handsome
bird and possessed of much character. A young bird

III.

One-half Xati'.rnl Si :•:.

1.— YELLOW-BREASTED HONEYSUCKER (Purple and crimson, yellow below). 2. — SHAMA (Black,
chestnut and white). 3.— PBKO (Slaty-brown, white cheeks and black throat). 4.— NIGHTIN-
GALE (Brown, paler below).

THE SHRIKES. 41

which has been properly taught is a splendid mimic and
talker. Being naturally a whistler, it readily learns tunes ;
and when it speaks, its pronunciation is very clear.
Moreover, a Piping-Crow is a free talker when it knows
anything, which, as everybody has experienced, is by no
means the usual thing with talking birds. The bird is
easy to keep, as, like a true Crow, it will eat anything ;
it has the Shrike's habit of holding a large morsel in one
foot to tear it. A portion of its food should always consist
of small animals or tender raw meat ; mice, sparrows or
the necks of fowls will be suitable. It is obvious that
such a bird is not a suitable tenant for any ordinary aviary,
as it is not a safe companion for any bird weaker than
itself. On the other hand, it is too big and too dirty for
a cage. The best plan, therefore, is either to give the
bird a little aviary to itself in the compound, about six
feet square ; or, after it has got used to its cage or to a
little roosting-house which could be made for it, to clip
the flight-feathers of one wing and let it roam about by
day, shutting it in safely at night.

In this way the bird will be an ornament to the garden,
and useful in destroying insect pests, while it is likely to
keep in better health when allowed this modified liberty.
The Piping-Crow is very popular in Australia both wild
and as a pet, and a good many are exported. I have said
so much about it because it is one of the best of all pet
birds, and practically certain to please anyone who tries
it, even an old untrained bird being, as I said above, a
very nice pet. Although rather expensive to buy —
costing at least ten rupees — the fact that it is a very hardy

42 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

and long-lived bird makes a Piping-Crow a very safe
speculation for any bird-lover.

THE ORIOLES.

These constitute a small family of birds found chiefly
in warm regions in the Old World. They are of about the
size of a House-Mynah, and usually yellow and black in
plumage, with rather long wings, medium tails, longish,
stout bills, and decidedly short legs. The Black-headed
Oriole, figured on Plate II (Fig. 2), will give a good idea
of them, as they have a great family resemblance. They
live in trees, feeding on fruit and insects, and building
beautiful hammock-like nests in a fork of a branch ; the
eggs are white with black spots. Male and female are
alike in plumage or nearly so ; but the young are streaked,
and the young hen does not come into full colour so soon
as the cock. They are not songsters, but have most
beautiful flute-like calls. They go alone or in pairs and
are called pilak in Hindustani.

It should be mentioned here that the so-called Orioles
of America belong to a different family altogether, the
Troupials ; it is remarkable, however, that some of them
display the same black and yellow colours, and almost the
same patterns, as the true Orioles, whence, no doubt, the
confusion. In form and habits the Troupials are inter-
mediate between the Starlings and the Weaver-Finches,
and practically every gradation between these very different
birds can be found in the family. A common Brazilian
Troupial (Icterus vulgaris), in colour much resembling
the Black-headed Oriole figured, but with a Starling-

THE OKIOLES. 43

like bill and longer tail and legs, has been occasionally
brought to India, and makes a much nicer pet than any
true Oriole. For, charming as they are at large, the
Orioles make very poor cage birds, and are not interesting
even in an aviary. It will be enough to mention our two
commonest species here.

THE BLACK-HEADED ORIOLE (Oriolus Melanocephalus).
— This is perhaps the commoner of the two species I
am dealing with, being found nearly all over India, be-
sides Ceylon and Burma, though it does not go far up
the hills. The yellow of its plumage is particularly rich
and deep, but the female is not quite so bright as the
male. The young have the black head streaked with
yellow, and the yellow of the body, which is pale, plenti-
fully streaked with black. Their bills also are black,
while that of the old bird is a lovely rose-pink. This
seems a particularly hard bird to keep in confinement ;
common as it is about Calcutta, I have very seldom known
it to be successfully caged, even though nestlings are
often brought in.

THE INDIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE OR MANGO-BIRD (Orio-
lus kundoo) called Pashnool in Kashmir, is found higher
up the Himalayas than the last species, and is spread all
over India, but does not extend to the eastwards nor to
Ceylon. It is an even more lovely bird than the last,
being all yellow on the head as well as the breast and back,
except for a black streak on each side of the face. The
yellow is also of a lighter but more delicate shade. The
hen has a green tinge on the back. The young in this
species are of a yellowish green above, and white with

44 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

black streaks below, absolutely unlike the parents. As
in the last species, they have dark bills, while the old
ones have rosy ones.

This species is partially migratory, visiting Turkestan
in summer. But the only regularly migratory Oriole is
the Golden Oriole of Europe (Oriolus galbala), which
occasionally but rarely visits us in Sind in winter. This
species is almost exactly like our Indian bird above des-
cribed, chiefly differing by its longer wings and showing-
less black on the face and tail. And people who admires
as so many do, the beautiful Mango-bird, should bear in
mind that its equally lovely European relative would un-
doubtedly settle in England if allowed, as it is constantly
visiting that country, usually getting shot before it has
time to breed ; and therefore do all they can, when at-
home on leave, to protect rare birds.

THE STABLINGS OR MYNAHS.

The Mynahs form a very interesting family of Eastern
birds, of which the only common European representative
is the Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) known to the natives in
India, which it visits in winter, as the Spotted Mynah.
India abounds in birds of this group, most of them resi-
dents, and several very common. Birds of this family
are very easily recognized by their short tails, strong,
coarse feet, and the peculiar way in which the mouth
turns down at the corners, as well shown in the Pied
Mynah on Plate II (Fig. 4), which is a very typical
example. The bill is often very straight, and the legs
rather long, the birds usually running instead of hopping

THE STARLINGS OR MYNAHS. 45

when on the ground, where they find most of their food.
But they are also active on trees, and strong fliers, the flight
being level and steady, with none of the undulating action
so common among the smaller species of birds. Not
that Mynahs are very small ; their size always exceeds
that of a Sparrow. Male and female are alike, but the
young may differ greatly. Mynahs feed mostly on insects,
but will eat fruit and even seed also ; they build in holes
for the most part, and their eggs are generally plain un-
spotted blue. They much affect the neighbourhood of
man, and are usually harmless, not to say useful birds,
besides being handsome and interesting to watch. Their
natural song is not pleasant, but when brought up from
the nest they show great talent for mimicry. They are
sociable in a wild state and not quarrelsome with other
birds in an aviary, though they can hold their own, even
with larger species. They are particularly easy to feed
and will thrive well for a long time. In Bengal they are
called Salik.

THE HOUSE-MYNAH OR COMMON MYNAH (Acridotheres
tristis) is found all over India, ascending the hills to a
considerable height, as it has of late years become common
at Darjeeling. It is a very domesticated bird, building
a great untidy nest of rags, straw, etc., in any hole it can
find about a house, and walking about the verandah
with a view to picking up any remnants of boiled rice, etc.,
that may be handy. At the same time, the Mynah is not
offensively familiar like the Crow and Sparrow, and it is
perhaps for this reason that he is so generally popular.
Besides, he is a nice bird to look at. His brown plumage,

46 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

set off by a black head and a white band on the wings
and a white tip to the tail, looks very neat and his yellow
face, bill, and feet, relieve the whole from dinginess. The
name ' Tristis ' or " dull," was given to him by Linnaeus,
who thought he was a shabby kind of Bird-of-paradise.
Young birds may be distinguished by having the head
very dull-black instead of glossy-jet, and the bare skin of
the face dull- white instead of bright-yellow. This is a large
bird for a Mynah, being about ten inches long with stout
legs and large feet, but a decidedly short bill. It has
much courage and will attack and rout a Crow fearlessly.
The cocks also fight fiercely in the nesting-season, rolling
about on the ground locked in each other's claws, while
the hens look on as seconds. The Mynah, like all Star-
lings, is very ludicrous in his behaviour when singing,
erecting his head plumage and bowing at intervals in a
clownish way, which strongly contrasts with his very self-
possessed manner on ordinary occasions.

His natural notes are rather a mixture of music and
mere noise, but in captivity a nest-reared bird often
becomes a really good talker. My friend, Mr. F. Groser,
of Alipore, has one now, which speaks better than most
parrots, and far more readily.

A hand-reared Mynah may be safely allowed full liberty
so that if a talker be wanted it is as well to get several
young birds, and cage them separately, when the best can
be selected, and the others let out or given away, if they
show no signs of a budding talent for acquiring language.

Albinism is not very uncommon in this Mynah ; I have
seen two white ones with pink eyes, and two others with

THE STARLINGS OR MYNAHS. 47

eyes of the normal colour (a speckled grey), which after-
wards reverted, one completely, and the other partially,
to the natural colour ; this being likely to happen when
the eyes of a white bird are not pink.

The House-Mynah has been introduced into several
other countries — Mauritius, the Andamans, the Sandwich
Islands, Australia, and New Zealand. Only in the Sand-
wich Islands has he proved an undesirable colonist, as he
there attacks the eggs and young of the native birds,
many of which are only found in these islands.

THE BANK MYNAH (Acridotheres ginginianus), is called
Ganga maina in Hindustani, and Gang salik in Bengali,
is smaller and slighter than the House-Mynah ; it has the
same pattern of colour, but the tints differ. The head is
black as in the other species, but the body-colour is iron-
grey and the light bands on the wings and tail cinnamon ;
the bare face is bright red, and the feet and bill orange,
instead of yellow. The young birds are sometimes merely
dull editions of the adult, as in the Common Mynah, but
more often differ strikingly by having drab heads.

The Bank Mynah derives its name from its curious
nesting-habits ; it burrows into banks to make its nests,
a number of birds associating to. form a colony. It is a
curious fact that the bird is particularly partial to the cast
sloughs of snakes as a lining to the nest. This Mynah
is peculiar to India, and to the northern part of it ; it
does not extend to the east of the Bay of Bengal, but it
ascends the Himalayas to some height. It does not seem
to be truly migratory, but the changes frequently
occurring in the beds of rivers in India no doubt often cause

48 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

it to change its quarters in order to obtain a suitable
nesting-site. It also breeds in the sides of wells, and I
believe in Calcutta affects the Fort Buildings ; I have
seen it often on the Maidan.

THE JUNGLE MYNAH (Aethiopsarfuscus), distinguished
as Pahari or Jhonti maina in Hindustani and Jhont salik
in Bengali, is somewhat intermediate between the last
two species. It can, however, be easily distinguished
from both by having the face feathered all over, and not
showing any bare skin ; moreover, the feathers stick
up in a small ragged crest at the root of the bill, whence
the native names, which mean " Crested Mynah." The
light markings on wing and tail are white as in the Common
Mynah, and the bill and legs are orange ; the body-colour
is grey, but much darker and browner than in the Bank
Mynah, so that on the whole this bird resembles the House-
Mynah most, of its two relatives. It is found all over our
Empire, ascending the hills up to eight thousand feet, but
it affects jungle and builds in holes in trees though often
associating with the House-Mynah and sometimes seen
in towns.

It is a curious fact that the birds of this species, which
inhabit Northern India and Burma, have bright yellow
eyes, while those from Southern India have pale blue ones.
There is, however, some tendency to variation in the
colour of the eyes in other Starlings. More than once I
have seen the Common Starling in India with whitish
eyes instead of brown ones, and I once saw a Bank Mynah
with yellow eyes in a cage with several of the ordinary
red-eyed ones. If such a variation proved strongly

THE STARLINGS OR MYNAHS. 49

hereditary, it would of course spread in time over a whole
district. It would be very interesting to know if the
differently-coloured eye in such cases is associated with
a difference in disposition or constitution, and this could
easily be ascertained with species so readily obtained and
kept as the Mynahs are.

I used to know a very tame jungle Mynah which flew
about the Museum compound at complete liberty, and
seldom failed to look me up early in the morning, though I
did not usually feed him. This is undoubtedly the best
way of keeping the common birds — to allow them full
liberty — but they must be expected to disappear in time.

THE PIED MYNAH (Sturnopastor contra), commonly
known as Abulka among the natives, is one of our most
charming birds. The figure (Fig. 4), on Plate II, gives
an excellent idea of it, but it should be mentioned that the
underparts below the breast are a pale grey rather than
pure white, looking rather dirty. The base of the bill
and the bare skin round the eyes are bright red, the tip
of the bill being white. The legs are fleshy- white also.
Young birds, besides having the neck streaked with
brown, show no red about the face, and have black bills
and legs. Curiously enough, they also have the inside
of the mouth orange, while in the old ones this is as black
as if they had been drinking ink.

This is one of our commonest birds, being found over
India generally ; in Burma it is replaced by a very closely
allied species or variety (Sturnopastor superciliaris)
differing merely in having white streaks on the forehead
and over the eyes. It is more inclined to go in flocks
F, GAB 4

50 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

than the House-Mynab, and does not come into streets
and the actual precincts of houses, though a very usual
inhabitant of our gardens, where it must be of considerable
service as it is usually seen industriously hunting the
grass. It does not indulge in any set song apparently ;
but its voice is very sweet and flute-like, and it appears
not to have any unpleasant notes whatever — a remarkable
peculiarity in any bird, and especially in one of this
family.

The Pied Mynah appears to be the most insectivorous
of all our Mynahs ; it is constantly haunting for prey on
the ground, though, when the red-flowered cotton-tree is
in bloom it joins other birds in drinking nectar from the
blossoms. In captivity it needs more animal food than
other species. I believe it can, when nest-reared, be
taught to whistle very well — which one would expect
from the mellowness of its natural notes.

Unlike other Starlings, it does not build in a hole, but
makes a big untidy nest on the bough of a tree, several
pairs often building near each other. The birds must
possess remarkable courage to be able to afford to rear
their broods in public like this, for the nest is obtrusively
obvious to every passer-by.

The Pied Mynah in captivity is apt to turn more or
less black on the light parts of its plumage. I once saw
in a cage one of these birds which was pale drab all over
the parts which should have been black, the rest with
the beak, etc., remaining normal. In the Indian Museum,
too, are two skins of the species, one of which is mostly
white, and the other entirely so,

THE STARLINGS OR MYNAHS. 51

If any one is thinking of introducing Mynahs abroad,
I should strongly recommend this species. Its breeding
habits would render it easily controlled if it showed a ten-
dency to become too numerous in a new country, while its
energy in pursuing insects would make it a most useful bird.

THE BRAHMINY MYNAH (Tenienuchus pagodarum) is
a very pretty bird indeed. It is rather small for a Mynah,
being only just over eight inches long, and has a very
long silky crest, hanging right down to its shoulders.
This crest, with the whole cap is black ; the crest of the
upper plumage is clear pale grey, and the lower plumage
warm cinnamon. The pinion-quills are black, and the
tail is tipped with white.

The bill is bright blue at the root, and yellow at the
tip : the legs and feet are also yellow. Young birds have
no crest, and their colours are much paler and duller than
those of their parents : but their dark caps make them
easily distinguishable from our other common small Mynah
next to be dealt with.

This species is found all over India and Ceylon, but does
not ascend the hills to any height as a rule. It is found
in Afghanistan, but it is not certain how far it extends in
the other direction to the eastward of India. It is not so
common as the other Mynahs, and near Calcutta I have
never seen it wild, although I found it numerous enough
at Dehra Dun. It bears confinement well, and will learn
to imitate various sounds. When singing, it looks very
curious, with its long crest standing on end and its white-
tipped tail spread out. Like the Pied Mynah, it would
be a good bird for acclimatization abroad.

52 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

THE GREY-HEADED MYNAH (Sturnia malabarica) is,
like the last species, commonly called Pawi, the crested
birds being distinguished in Bengal as the Monghyr Pawi.
It is the smallest of our common Mynahs, being only
eight inches long, and slenderly formed, with a longer tail
than Mynahs usually have. In colour, it is grey above, the
head being a light silver-grey, below it is cinnamon, the
tail being tipped with this colour ; also the pinion-quills
are black. The bill is blue and yellow as in the last
species ; the eyes white, and the legs dark dirty yellow.
Many specimens show a white patch on the forehead and
throat ; this may occur in both cocks and hens. Young
birds are a greyish drab nearly all over, with blue eyes ;
their small size and plain colour make them easily dis-
tinguishable.

This little Mynah is found all over India, including
the hills at low elevations. It is not found in Ceylon,
nor in the Andamans and Nicobars : its place in these
latter islands being taken by two beautiful species pecu-
liar to them.

The Andaman Pawi (Sturnia andamanica) is frequently
to be had in Calcutta. It is a little larger than the
common Pawi and reminds one of a miniature Sea-gull,
being white with a pale grey back and black quills. It
makes a nice aviary bird, having a pretty note as well as
striking plumage.

The ordinary grey-headed species has nothing parti-
cular to recommend it in that capacity, nor is it a parti-
cularly interesting bird in a wild state. It spends most
of its time in the trees, feeding on fruit, though it will

THE STARLINGS OK MYNAHS. 53

sometimes come down on the ground and run about
after insects like other Mynahs. But it cannot pretend to
compare with them either in attractiveness or utility.

THE HILL MYNAH (Eulabes intermedia) is typical of a
group of Mynahs sometimes — as in the Fauna of British
India volumes — ranked as a distinct family, which keep to
the trees altogether and feed entirely on fruit. They do
not affect human habitations at all, build in holes in trees,
laying spotted eggs, and are not able to walk like the
ordinary Mynahs, progressing on the ground only by hops.
The well-known species mentioned above is a very heavy,
thick-set bird, with short wings and tail, deep short bill
and short strong legs and feet. The head has a band of
bare skin on each side, irregular in outline and ending in
loose flaps at the back. The length of the bird is about a
foot ; its plumage is black, richly glossed with purple and
green, and with a white band on the pinion-quills. The
bill is rich orange-red, and the feet and bare skin of the
head bright yellow ; the eyes are dark.

Young birds have a dead-black plumage, and the bare
skin on the head lies close throughout, and does not end
in the loose flaps behind.

There is a good deal of difference in adult Hill Mynahs,
some having much larger bills and better-developed head-
lappets than others.

This bird, so widely celebrated as a talker, and known
to the natives as Pahari Mynah, is found on the lower
slopes of the Himalayas, throughout Burma and the
Malay Peninsula, in the south-eastern part of the Central
Provinces, and the Andamans and Nicobars. I have only

54 GAKDEN AND^ AVIARY BIRDS.

seen it wild in the former islands, where I noticed it had
a direct heavy flight ; but I only saw one pair. It is a
great deal better known as a captive, and the speaking
powers of a really good specimen must be heard to be
appreciated. At the same time, really perfect talkers
seem to be rare ; I have only met with few, although
accomplished coughers, spitters, etc., are only too common !
My friend, the late 'Mr. W. Rutledge, of Calcutta, had
a most admirable specimen, whose favourite remark
was "Not a drop to save my soul!" uttered with an
unctuous fervour which ought to have been worth pounds
to a Home for Inebriates. And there was another at the
home Zoo one year, on deposit, which frequently enquired,
" What are you talking about " in a very peremptory,
not to say vulgar, manner. But these appeared to me
to be brilliant exceptions, and unless this Mynah learns
Hindustani much more easily than English, I do not
quite understand the foundation for his reputation.
There is, however, a better bird than either of the above
at the London Zoo at present.

People who would keep this species as a cage-bird
should remember, first, to get a young one, which may be
easily selected by the signs above given ; secondly, to
give it a big cage; and thirdly, after it has got its full
plumage and grown its wattles or lappets, not to give
it much rich food like bread-and-milk and satoo, but to
feed it mostly on fruit. Fruit-eating birds like these
have gross appetites, and too nourishing a diet is
likely to give them fits by inducing a plethoric habit of
body.

THE STARLINGS Ofc MYNAHS. 55

The Hill Mynah thrives also as an aviary bird, and for
this purpose old wild caught ones will do quite well,
though not suitable as cage-pets. They breed from March
to May, which will indicate the time when young birds
may be looked for in the bird markets.

CHAPTER IV.

PASSERINE BIRDS — continued.
FLYCATCHERS, THRUSHES, ETC.

THE FLYCATCHERS.

THESE are a numerous body of little birds, usually less
than a sparrow in size, and distinguished by short weak
feet and thin flattened bills with a bristly moustache at
the base. They are generally solitary and have a habit
of repeatedly darting out at insects and returning to
the same perch. Many species are found in India, either
constantly or as winter visitors, but they are not interest-
ing as a group, though no doubt useful in a humble way,
as they feed almost entirely on flying insects, with which
India is undoubtedly overstocked. Three of the most
common and striking species may be noticed here.

THE PARADISE FLYCATCHER (Terpsiphone paradisi),
figured on Plate I (Fig. 2), is well known to the natives
as the Doodhraj or Shah Bulbul. It is, although light
and slender in make, a large bird for one of this family,
the male being about nine inches long without the long
centre tail-feathers, which extend a foot or more beyond
the rest. The hens and the young males during their first
year, have not this remarkable elongation of the tail,
but they are easily distinguished from all our other
small birds notwithstanding. The colour is a rich

THE FLYCATCHERS. 57

chestnut, the crested head being glossy blue-black, the
breast grey and the belly white. The bill is of a beautiful
blue, and the inside of the mouth a bright yellow, as
if it had been painted with mustard ; the eyelids are also
blue. Nestling birds have very dull or even brown heads.
In his second autumn, the young cock gets a pair of long
centre tail-feathers, but these are chestnut like the rest of
his upper plumage. In two more years nearly all the
plumage except the head becomes white. All red tinge
being lost, and he then resembles the figure, and is one
of the most beautiful and striking birds in any country.
Europeans as well as natives notice him, and have also
bestowed on him special names, such as " Indian Bird-
of-Paradise," and " Rocket Bird."

The bird is found all over India and Ceylon, ascending
the hills to nine thousand feet in summer ; in Burma
it is replaced by a very similar species (Terpsiphone affinis)
which hardly differs except in having no crest, the head-
plumage being short.

The Indian species, at all events, is not a very abun-
dant bird ; I have only seen two specimens in the wild
state and these, being without the long tail-feathers,
were either hens or quite young cocks.

Mr. F. Groser, who has had much better opportunities
of studying it than I have, tells me that it feeds much on
butterflies, whose wings it cuts off by the snap of the beak
which captures them.' Some people say it has a fine song,
but the only notes I have heard from captive specimens
were harsh and unpleasant to a degree. It can be kept
caged, but requires a great deal of care, and ought

58 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

not to be captured except for purposes of export ; it would
be a charming bird to acclimatize in warm tropical islands
where insectivorous birds are wanted.

The breeding-season of the bird is from May to July,
and the nest is small and open, built in a branch. Four
or five pink eggs with red spots are laid.

There is a rather pretty native legend about this
Flycatcher, somewhat to the following effect. Once, so
goes the story, it was a Bird-of-Paradise indeed, snow-
white in every feather, and with all its twelve tail-feathers
in the form of long ribbon-like plumes. But it gave
itself such airs that Allah, to punish its presumption,
deprived it of its beautiful plumage. On the bird's
repentance, however, it was allowed still to carry two
of the cherished streamers, though its face was blackened
to remind it of its former shame.

THE FANTAIL FLYCATCHER (Rkipidura albifrontata) is a
bird of somewhat different type and habits. Its bill is
rather shorter, and very decidedly bristly at the root ; its
legs are a little longer than those of Flycatchers generally,
and its tail of moderate length, but broad and rounded.
It is about seven inches long and slender in form ; the
plumage is dark grey-brown above and white below. It.
has a pair of broad white eyebrows on a black head, and
the tail is broadly tipped with white, so that, on the whole,
it is a strikingly coloured bird. The hen is merely a little
duller than the cock, but the young are marked with buff
on the back.

This bird is found all over the Empire, but does not
go very far up the Himalayas. It is a most charming

THE FLYCATCHERS. 59

little creature, not quiet and phlegmatic like most Fly-
catchers (which are rather dull little birds), but always
on the move, hopping about among the boughs or even
on the ground, and constantly opening and closing its
tail, and flirting it from side to side, using it, in fact,
almost exactly as a lady uses her fan. It has a pretty
little tinkling song, repeated at intervals, and is a very
dainty little creature altogether.

It breeds from February to August, building a cup-
shaped nest in a fork, the foundation being of grass, with
an outside coating of cobwebs. Only three eggs are laid,
white with drab spots.

Another common species of Fantail Flycatcher (Rhipi-
dura albicollis) has similar habits, but is not so pretty,
being soot-coloured all over, except for white eyebrows,
throat, and tail-tips.

THE VERDITER FLYCATCHER (Stoparola Melanops) has
nothing remarkable about its form and habits, and is a
smaller bird than those I have mentioned, being only
six inches long. It is very strikingly coloured, however,
the male being of a lovely pale blue all over. The hen
is also blue, but of a duller and greener shade ; and the
young are almost grey, with buff spots.

This bird is found almost all over the Empire, but not
in India south of the Nilgiris, nor in Sind, nor in the
An damans and Nicobars. In Ceylon it is replaced by a
somewhat similar but much duller species (Stoparola
sordida). Out of India it extends to China and the Malay
Peninsula. It is a migratory bird in a small way, ascend-
ing the hills up to nine thousand feet in the breeding

60 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

season, and coming down to winter in the plains. I
found it common about Darjeeling, and noticed it had a
pretty song of its own.

It nests from April to July, building in any sort of hole,
in which it makes a moss nest. The eggs are four in
number, and may be either plain, pinkish-white or speckled
with red.

This is one of the very few Flycatchers I have ever seen
in captivity ; several specimens have been brought down
from the hills with consignments of small insectivorous
birds. They seem to do well enough on a diet of satoo
and maggots.

The Verditer Flycatcher must not be confused with
another small blue Flycatcher sometimes seen, the Black-
naped Flycatcher (Hypothymis azurea). This is of a
darker and purplish blue, with a black spot at the back
of the head.

THE THRUSHES.

The Thrushes form a very large family of birds, for
in addition to the fairly large species to which the term
Thrush is usually applied, the small Robins, Chats and
Redstarts are included in it. All these birds have a
strong family resemblance, but their general appearance
is hard to describe. They have a neat well-proportioned
form, with wings, tail, and legs, all of moderate length as
a rule ; and their bills are small and slight. The Night-
ingale on Plate III (Fig. 4) will give a good idea of the
appearance of most of them as far as shape goes. Few
are so plainly coloured as this bird, however, and some

THE THRUSHES. 61

of them are quite gay. The cock may be either exactly
like the hen, or more or less different ; the young are
generally spotted with buff, and look quite unlike their
parents. In this the Thrushes differ conspicuously from
the Babblers, which fledge off at once into a very similar
dress to that worn by the old birds. Otherwise Thrushes
and Babblers are much alike in general appearance,
though to anyone who has a little experience in observ-
ing birds, the coarse bill and feet, loose plumage, and very
short wings of the Babblers mark them off from their
more aristocratic relatives at first sight. Further
observation will show that Thrushes are usually surly
and solitary in contradistinction to the jolly sociability
of the others ; and that they never take hold of things
with their foot as Babblers do, but only use their bill in
breaking up a large insect. They are mainly insect-
eaters, but the large species also devour a considerable
amount of fruit. They are good fliers, many of them
being migratory, and fairly active on the ground, where
the smaller kinds hop, while the larger ones alternately hop
and run, unlike most other birds. They perch a great
deal in trees, and often build in them, but do not hop
about the branches very much, taking their food most
commonly on the ground. Their eggs vary a great deal
in colour, but are most often spotted.

Thrushes of one kind and another are found all over
the world ; the Wheatear (Saxicola cenanthe), one of the
Chats, reaches the Arctic regions, while the remote island
of Tristan da Cunha in the Southern Ocean has a species
(Nesocichla eremita) all to itself.

62 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

Among the Thrushes are to be found the finest singers
of all birds, such as the Nightingale of Europe and the
Shama of India. They are also much admired generally
for their neat and trim appearance ; though to my mind
far less interesting and less animated than the compara-
tively plebeian Babblers.

None of them are extremely small, but the largest is
not bigger than a Jay. This is —

THE HIMALAYAN WHISTLING THRUSH (Myiophoneus
temminckii) called Kastura by the natives. This beautiful
bird is over a foot long, and strongly made, though without
4he coarse appearance of most birds of the size. Its
colour is a rich deep violet-blue, the tips of the body-
feathers having a curious glazed or varnished appearance ;
the bill, which is strong, is yellow, and the legs black.

The hen is like the cock, but the young are different,
being duller, and without the glossy tippings mentioned
above ; moreover, their bills are nearly all black. As
they are not spotted with buff like most young Thrushes,
for this reason this bird is sometimes, as in the Fauna
of British India volumes, classed with the Babblers ;
but it does not agree with these in any other point,
so that I keep it here with the Thrushes.

The Whistling Thrush is found all through the Indian
hills, giving place in Burma to another species which is
barely distinguishable, and probably not really distinct
(Myiophoneus eugenii). The Indian bird ranges in sum-
mer up to ten thousand feet, but comes lower down in
winter, even to the plains. It frequents the sides of hill
streams, feeding on snails and other small animals. It

THE THRUSHES. 63

breeds in the spring, near water, making a large open
nest of roots and moss in a crevice in rocks or other
similar place, sometimes even under a waterfall. Three
to five eggs are laid, pale grey or green, with pink and
brown specklings.

It has a very beautiful whistling song, which it begins
very early in the morning. The habits of the Burmese
race seem to be similar, as might be expected.

This bird may occasionally, though rarely, be obtained
in Calcutta, and makes a very nice pet. In an aviary
it must only be associated with birds of its own size, as
it is somewhat carnivorous in its tastes and very danger-
ous to small birds. Care should be taken to give it plenty
of small creatures as food, such as shrimps, snails, and
cockroaches, and it should have ample facilities for bathing.
It has a curious trick of frequently expanding its tail.
As it does not appear to be a fruit-eater, this would be a
good bird to introduce into countries where birds of the
Thrush kind are wanting.

In Southern India a species of blue Whistling Thrush,
smaller than the present bird, and with a black bill, is
found (Myiophoneus horsfieldi), and is often called the
" Whistling Schoolboy."

THE GREY-WINGED BLACKBIRD (Merula boulboul) is
also called Kastura by the natives, this name being ap-
parently a general one, applied to several species, includ-
ing the last whose proper relationships have thus been
correctly assigned by the natives, often very good
observers. It will be at once recognized by its close
resemblance to the familiar Blackbird of Europe, but

64 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

it is larger, being nearly a foot long. The male is black
all over, except for a large patch of silver-grey on the
wings ; his bill is orange-red, and his legs dull orange-
brown. The hen is dull dark brown, with a buff patch
on the wings, corresponding to the grey one in the male ;
her bill and legs are duller than his. The young birds
are, I believe, brown with buff spots, like young English
Blackbirds.

The Grey-winged Blackbird is found all along the
Himalayas, and extends to Manipur ; it ranges up to eight
thousand feet in summer, descending in winter even to
the plains. It breeds from April to August, laying four
green eggs speckled with brown in a nest placed in a hollow
or ledge, and made of moss and leaves, for it does not
use mud like the English bird.

It has a fine song, and will live in captivity in the
plains, but I have not seen many of these birds caged.

THE ORANGE-HEADED GROUND-THRUSH (Geocichla ci-
trina) called Dama in Bengal, is about nine inches long,
having a tail rather shorter than most Thrushes. It is
a strikingly coloured bird, the male being orange-chestnut
on the head, neck, and breast, and French grey on the
back, wings and tail, with a white belly and a small white
patch on the wing. The hen is olive-coloured where the
cock is grey, and the orange of her plumage is less rich.
The bill is black, and the legs flesh-coloured.

This bird is widely spread over the Empire, breeding
in the Himalayas up to six thousand feet, and distribut-
ing itself over the plains in winter ; in Burma it is more
abundant and less inclined to undertake even this small

PLATE IV,

1.-

Onc-Jialf Katv.ra.1 Size

(Gre611' Uack streak< on

THE THRUSHES. 65

migration. It breeds from April to July, making a big
nest of grass, etc., in a bush, and laying three or four
greenish-white eggs with reddish spots. It is sometimes
caged, and is a splendid singer ; and it certainly does well
in confinement.

Before leaving the larger Thrushes, it may be mentioned
for the benefit of the many admirers of that bird, that the
European Song-Thrush (Turdus musicus) will live well
for years in India, and give its characteristic song at
the proper season. Almost all, however, become subject
to an excessive overgrowth of the scales of the feet, as do
some of the Indian Thrushes. This bird may be safely
kept with small Finches, but it would not be wise to trust
all Thrushes in such company.

THE DHAYAL (Copsychus saularis) is figured on Plate 1
(Fig. 4), and the plumage of the male thus needs no
description, being simply black-and-white, whence he is
sometimes called the Magpie-Robin. The female is
similarly marked, but dark grey instead of black, and the
young resemble her, with buff mottling on the breast
and wings. The Dhayal is one of the most beautifully
proportioned of all small birds, and very graceful in its
movements either on the wing, on the ground, or in trees.
It is a common garden-bird, almost all over the Empire,
but does not range very high up the hills. In Burma
and the Andamans it is tamer than in India, and will
even come into verandahs. I have never seen it so
numerous anywhere as on Ross Island in the Andamans,
where every morning the air was full of the sweet song
of these birds. About Colombo it is also common. Every
F, GAB 5

66 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

where, however, the hen is far less often seen than the
cock. Whether there are actually fewer females, or
whether they escape observation on account of their
undoubtedly more retiring habits, I do not know. The
Dhayal is not a sociable bird, and even the pair are not
usually, seen in close company. It is, however, as above
implied, not timid, and could probably be made very
tame by a little encouragement, such as throwing out
cockroaches or crickets for it. It will certainly readily
take disabled insects put in its way, and as it builds in
any sort of hole, a little box or even an earthen pot, put
up in some safe place, would probably be gratefully
accepted as house-accommodation. The nest, as is usual
in hole-building birds, is rather a rough affair ; the eggs
are five in number, greenish with rusty spots. The young
are not difficult to rear for insectivorous birds, and make
nice pets. But the Dhayal is not much caged in India,
as his more gifted relative, the Shama, to be noticed next,
is easily obtainable. He has, however, been induced
to breed in captivity, both in India and in England.
The birds which were bred from here by Mr. F. Groser,
of Alipore, were a hand-reared hen and a wild-caught
cock, and two young were reared and lived to attain their
full plumage ; they were brother and sister. Mr. Groser
told me that on the decease of the old hen the dis-
consolate widower was so determined not to marry again
that he has killed all subsequent wives submitted for his
approval ? Where the Dhayal is common, it is, I think,
best to leave him at liberty ; but it is well to remember
that he is appreciated in England, and hard to obtain

THE THRUSHES. 67

there ; and being purely insectivorous, would be a useful
bird to acclimatize in parts of the tropics where such birds
are needed. The bird has a wide range naturally, ex-
tending even into China, whence a good many specimens
are sent to Calcutta, being considered better than Indian
birds as songsters.

THE SHAMA (Cittocincla macrura), being figured on
Plate III (Fig. 2), needs no long description ; the figure,
however, only represents the old male ; the female is
drab where the male is black, and the chestnut of the
belly is not so rich, nor is her tail quite so long. Young
birds are brown with buff spots, but have the characteristic
black-and-white tail. The Shama is a jungle-bird, and
does not come about houses like the Dhayal ; but it is a
common and widespread species in our Empire, especially
frequenting hilly grounds, though it does not ascend the
hills to any great height. In Tenasserim the hens are
often very dark, and thus tend to resemble the cocks.
This is a shy bird in the wild state, and feeds entirely on
insects ; it builds from April to June, making a nest of
grass, leaves, etc., in a hole in a tree. The eggs much
resemble those of the Dhayal, but are not so numerous,
four being the usual clutch. The bird will very readily
take advantage of a big bamboo with a hole in it set up
in any place near its haunts, and may thus be encouraged,
as it well deserves, on account of its beauty, usefulness,
and great power of song. I cannot agree with those
people who even prefer it to the Nightingale ; but it
certainly is a very much better songster than any other
European bird, much surpassing the Thrush and Blackbird.

68 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

In captivity, at all events, it shows great power of mimicry,
which is rather a doubtful improvement to its natural
strains, as, like most mimicking birds, it has but little
discrimination !

The Shama is one of the most popular cage-birds in
Calcutta, and bears captivity very well, living for many
years if properly attended to. The cages in which these
birds are usually kept are, however, too small, and it is a
shame to cover them up as is usually done. The bird, if
covered, will sing louder, so Mr. E. W. Harper informs us,
in reprobating the practice, but the subdued notes are
just as pretty ; and after all a bird is a living intelligent
being, and should be treated as such, and not as a musical
box!

The Shama is well adapted to cage-life, as it becomes
very tame and seems contented in a small space. More-
over, it is not at all sociable, being so extremely averse
to company that it will not even tolerate the society of
the other sex of its own species in the same cage !
Nevertheless, it has been bred in an aviary in London
by a well-known amateur, Mr. E. Phillips, and no doubt
could be much more easily induced to propagate its kind
in its own country.

There is in Calcutta a class of men who make a regular
business of feeding Shamas. For a small sum paid
monthly they will supply a daily allowance of maggots,
grasshoppers, and safoo-paste to one's bird. But they
must be well looked after, for a day's neglect would be
disastrous to the poor captives. Where only a single
Shama is kept, it is quite easy to make up the satoo one's

THE THRUSHES.

self, and a few pice to the sweeper ought to produce suffi-
cient insects for the bird's daily requirements, without
having recourse to the daily ration of horrible wrigglers.
Insects of some sort or other the Shama must have,
however ; if they run short, small pellets of raw lean meat,
previously mixed and washed, should be given. The
satoo should, of course, be made up with ghee or hard
boiled egg, or both.

The Shama is regularly taken to England, and may
be obtained from the larger bird-dealers there ; but it
is always an expensive bird, and likely to remain so, as
such quarrelsome creatures cannot be taken over in
numbers, to say nothing of the trouble inseparable from
feeding insectivorous birds. Such amateurs, however,
as have kept the Shama are enthusiastic in their admira-
tion for it, and, as it will live well at home if kept com-
fortable in winter, it is always worth while to take a pet
bird with one. If the expense of freight and gratuity be
objected to, two or three birds can be packed in one cage
with compartments, and the sale of the extra specimens
should cover all these expenses of their transport. Hen
Shamas are always hard to get in England, as they are
seldom seen even in the Calcutta bird-market/ Such hens
as do turn up are, I presume, birds which were got young
before their sex could be distinguished ; for all the wild-
caught old birds brought in are cocks.

Those who are interested in acclimatization should
make particular note of the Shama, for a splendid
songster, ornamental in appearance, and useful in its
feeding habits, with no possibility of undue increase,

70

GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

would be a welcome guest in many countries. For such
a purpose, however, special arrangements should, if
possible, be made for the procuring of wild-caught
. birds.

THE COMMON INDIAN ROBIN (Thamnobia cambaiensis),
though not so universally distributed as the Dhayal, is still
a common bird in India Proper, though it does not extend
to Burma, or go very high up the hills. In form it
much resembles the Dhayal, but is a smaller bird, being
less than seven inches long. In colour it is a very glossy
black, but the upper part of the head and the back
are sandy brown ; there is a white patch on the wings,
and a chestnut one under the tail. In Southern India
and Ceylon the Robins are black above as well as below,
and are classed as a distinct species (Thamnobia fulicata).
The hen is sandy brown all over, darker on the wings and
tail, with the characteristic chestnut patch under the
latter. The young are somewhat like the hen, but more or
less marked with cinnamon, especially in the southern
variety or species.

In their general habits, nesting and the colour of their
eggs, these birds much resemble the Dhayal ; like that bird
and the Shama, they have the trick of frequently jerking
up their tail till it is quite perpendicular. The smaller
members of the Thrush family, indeed, always exhibit a
great deal of tail-action in some form or another.
These Robins are familiar garden-birds, but they are not*
great songsters, and are seldom, if ever, caged. Beside
the showy Dhayal indeed, they seem rather common-place,
though nice little birds in their way.'~

THE THRUSHES. 71

THE PERSIAN NIGHTINGALE (Daulias golzii) has only
twice been known to occur wild in India, in both instances
in Oudh. It is, however, well known as a cage-bird
among the natives, under the name of Bulbul bostha,
and very possibly the two unfortunate specimens who
were " recorded " were merely " escapes." The proper
range of this species, which differs very slightly in appear-
ance, but more in song, from the famous Nightingale
of Europe, is from Turkestan and the Caucasus through
Persia, and it is the bird called Bulbul in oriental poetry
and legend, the lover of the rose. The name Bulbul,
however, must have been early transferred to the birds
which now bear it, inasmuch as it is the recognized term
for them among all natives.

In Yarkand the Barred Warbler (Sylvia nisoria) is
called Bulbul, it being the finest songster in that district ;
and it must be remembered that the Persian Bulbul
(Molpastes leucotis) is a good singer, as also is a Bulbul
found in Palestine and there called by that name among
the Arabs. This Palestine Bulbul (Pycnonotus xantho-
pygus) is a bird of about the size of the common Bengal
Bulbul, dark brown in colour, with a yellow patch under
the tail ; it may sometimes be seen in captivity in Port
Said. Canon Tristrom, who has heard it in its native
haunts, considers that it is a very fine melodist indeed,
and closely approaches the true Nightingale in the quality
of its notes.

To return to the genuine Nightingale ; the figure
(Fig. 4) on Plate III, which was drawn from a living bird,
kindly lent me by Mr. D. Ezra for the purpose, gives a

72 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

fair idea of its general form and proportions and also of
its simple colouring. It is a little over seven inches long
and is a slender, delicately made bird with close plumage.
The brown of the upper surface is greyer in some speci-
mens and redder in others, the tail being always reddest ;
the bill and feet are a sort of horny flesh-colour. Altogether
the Nightingale is a very hard bird to describe ; but the
very absence of any special feature — its well-balanced
proportions and unrelieved soberness of colour — makes
it not difficult to recognize when once seen. And no
other bird at all resembling it is commonly caged. The
hen is just like the cock ; but young birds will probably
be found to be spotted with buff, like the young of the
European bird.

A considerable number of these birds are brought down
yearly from Cabul for sale in Calcutta, where they fetch
very high prices, from fifty to four hundred rupees. The
hens, of course, are almost valueless, and as the sexes
are so difficult to distinguish, it is necessary, when buying
a Nightingale, to hear the bird sing one's self, and also
to make sure that the bird one sees really is the performer ;
as there is a trick of showing, and selling, the intending
purchaser a hen, while a cock is singing behind a curtain !
The song of the Persian Nightingale, judging from a very
fine bird of Mr. Ezra's which I have heard, is much stronger
than that of the European Nightingale, but less sweet
in tone. The birds sing well in captivity in the winter
and spring months, and will live for years, but need great
care. The satoo given them must be of the best, and
carefully prepared, and insects must always be liberally

THE THRUSHES. 73

supplied. I should recommend no one to keep a
Nightingale who cannot rely on a sufficient supply of small
grasshoppers, white-ants, etc., to keep the bird almost
entirely on such food. The European Nightingale has been
bred in captivity in England, and I have little doubt that
the Persian bird would breed in India, as I have received
accounts of hen birds laying eggs when kept alone in
cages.

As these birds nest in woods on the ground, using dead
leaves, the best way to get them to breed would be to put
a tame pair in a large cage about six feet square, well
supplied with bushy branches stuck in the ground,
which should be partly covered with turf, watered from
outside to keep it fresh, and partly with a thick bedding
of dead leaves. A very liberal supply of insects should
be kept up. Indeed, it would be a good plan to make
the sides of the cage of wire gauze of the coarse kind (in
fine gauze the birds would catch their claws) and let in a
lot of assorted insects every day .for the birds to catch
naturally. They would not need cleaning in a cage of
the size, and the bath, food, etc., could easily be put in
by a small door. It would be worth taking a great deal
of trouble to domesticate this superb songster, which, after
so many centuries, still maintains, with all nations who
know it, its reputation as the most melodious of wild living
things. For acclimatization abroad I should expect the
Persian Nightingale to be a more suitable subject than
the European species, as it does not appear to undertake
long migrations as these do. I say these, because there
are two species of Nightingales in Europe, the Western

74 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

(Daulias luscinid) of England and Western Europe, and
the Eastern Nightingale or Sprosser (Daulias philomela),
which last more nearly approaches the Persian bird. All,
however, are so much alike that they might be taken to
belong to the same species ; the Western is the smallest
and reddest in tint, and the Persian has a noticeably
longer tail than the other two. But after seeing much
of Nightingales in Kent in my earlier days, I still find it
difficult to notice much difference in the Asiatic repre-
sentative of the dear brown bird, best loved of all.

CHAPTER V.

PASSERINE BIRDS — concluded.
FINCHES, SWALLOWS, SUNBIRDS, ETC.

THE FINCHES.

THE Finches are the largest family of birds, and out-
rival the Thrushes in the wideness of their distribution.
They are very easily recognizable by their beak, which is
always more or less markedly conical in form, being thick
and high at the root and tapering very rapidly to the tip;
Of course some have longer and thinner bills than others,
but there is no mistaking a Finch's bill. The nostrils are
set at the very root, where the forehead feathering begins
and the mouth turns down at the corner as in the
Starlings.

The use of this stout beak is to crack seed, the Finches
being mainly seed-eaters, and always husking their seed
before they swallow it. In fact, they eat all food rather
slowly, not gulping it like most birds. They readily eat
other things as well as seed, such as fruit, buds, leaves,
and insects, and should always have some such food allowed
them in captivity.

Finches are, as a family, small birds ; they are never
larger than a Mynah, and some are among the very tiniest
of birds. The short-winged Finches of the warmer parts
of the Old World, with, for the most part, stouter bills

76 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

and coarser feet than the more migratory Finches of
temperate regions, are usually separated as a distinct
family, as in the Fauna of British India series, but there
seems to be no sufficient justification for this, and I shall
here class them all together.

Owing to their vegetable-feeding habits, the Finches
are of*n destructive in a wild state, though many do
good service by eating the seeds of weeds. In captivity
they are the favourite cage-birds in most countries,
though not in India, where insectivorous birds are more
favoured. For aviaries they are popular everywhere, as
a large and varied collection of them can be so easily
obtained and kept.

They are, however, less easily tamed, less graceful in
form and interesting in habits than insectivorous and
fruit-eating birds. In keeping Finches together they
must be associated according to the calibre of their bills
rather than the size of their bodies, since the fighting-
power of the bird depends on the weapon he carries.

Several species will breed in captivity, and such should
receive insects and soft food at the breeding season. At
other times, soft food is not good for Finches, as they
ought to exercise their jaws and gizzard in feeding, and
swallowing a lot of soft pasty stuff, which can be readily
assimilated makes them too fat.

However, when they are kept with birds which live on
such food, the risk must be run ; but they do not usually
care much for soft food when not feeding young.

Some species of Finches — the Canary, Java Sparrow and
sharp-tailed Munia — have been completely domesticated,

THE FINCHES. 77

and produce their young regularly in captivity, so that
anyone who feels compunction at caging wild birds can
yet secure considerable variety in an aviary without
offending his conscience in this matter.

Finches are not much in evidence as garden-birds in
India, except the House-Sparrow (Passer domesticus) who
ought to be banished as much as possible by every bird-
lover, as he bullies and drives away nicer birds ; I have
seen him do this even with the little Honeysuckers.

Many species, however, are sold for aviaries in Calcutta,
and elsewhere — so many, that I am not able to deal
with them all, and merely give a selection of species which
seemed particularly suitable for notice in this work.

To commence with the Eastern or Weaver-Finches,
which always reside in warm climates. One of the most
familiar in the East is

THE WEAVER-BIRD, called Baya by the natives. The
older writers confused two species under this title, and
not unnaturally, since where they meet, they appear to
inter-breed, and thus become confused themselves. The
true Baya (Ploceus baya) inhabits most of India and
Ceylon ; the female, and the male in winter, much resem-
ble hen Sparrows, being light brown with dark streaks ;
they are, however, smaller than a Sparrow, with stronger
bills and feet and shorter wings and tail. Moreover,
their plumage is more clearly marked and yellower in
tone. In the spring the male assumes a very handsome
breeding-plumage ; his head and breast become a brilli-
ant yellow, with the exception of the throat, which is
dull black ; the back is also washed with yellow, and he

78 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

looks a very showy little bird altogether. His bill
which had been brown, now becomes black fading again
when the winter plumage is assumed.

In Bengal and Burma, extending east to Java, is found
another Weaver-bird which, except for being usually
larger, is almost indistinguishable from the true Baya,
that is, the hens and winter-plumaged cocks ; the cock
of this Eastern Baya (Ploceus atrigula) never dons such
a bright wedding-garment as the typical Indian bird and
is thus easily distinguishable at the breeding season.
The only yellow he shows is on the crown ; his throat is a
smoky grey ; and the rest of his plumage remains very
sparrowy, except that some individuals, no doubt with
a strain of the more aristocratic Baya blood, show a few
yellow feathers on the breast.

As to their habits, the two birds may be treated together.
They are mainly seed-eaters, but probably feed their
young on insects. They are always gregarious, even
breeding in company, and their nests are the most perfect
examples of bird architecture. They are made of grass
or palm-fibre, very strongly woven together, and are in
shape like a bulb suspended above by a short cord, and
ending below in a long tube. The nest is of course begun
from above with the cord, and across the lower part of
the bulb, inside, runs a partition, which divides the spout
from the chamber or pocket in which lie the eggs and
young. The excellence of the workmanship is most
remarkable, but the end of the spout is always left frayed
out and untidy, so as to give less foothold to an enemy.
The bird itself enters the nest on the wing, shooting up

THE FINCHES. 79

the spout or tube. These nests cannot very well be
concealed, and the birds do not try to hide them. They
always build in company, and the nests are hung at the
tips of branches or palm-fronds, usually over water.
The Eastern species often builds in verandahs, so that
the birds' method of working can be watched. Both
sexes take their share, working together till the suspension
rope and upper portion of the bulb are finished ; then they
make a perch or cord across the unfinished bulb, which
perch will be deepened to form the partition wall of the
perfect nest. On this perch, which is strongly made, the
hen then sits, and works on the inside, while the cock
attends to the exterior. In a colony many nests are
found which do not get further than this stage and as
captive males in an aviary seem not to be able to complete
a nest, it seems probable that such imperfect nests are
the result of the efforts of the male portion of the colony
while their mates are sitting. Sometimes they will while
away the time by lengthening the entrance-spout, for
weaving is a pleasure to these birds, and they really enjoy
the work. The nests vary in length of spout and of
attachment rope, and usually contain some lumps of mud,
the use of which has not yet been made out, but the most
reasonable theory seems to be that it serves as ballast.
The birds return to the same spot year after year, and
repair their old nests if they find them. Many, however,
are taken away by the natives, who find them very good
stuffing for mattresses, as they are very springy, being
so well woven and dried. Weavers are very noisy and
quarrelsome birds, and make such a noise when a number

80 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

are together that it is easy to understand the statement
that has been made to the effect that the cocks have
no song. They do sing, however, but the music they
turn out is so excruciating that it is not appreciated as
such.

The hen weavers only lay two or three eggs, while in
colour. The young are easily reared on safoo-paste, and,
when full-fledged, will eat the ordinary bird-seeds. Thus
treated, they become delightfully tame, will follow one
about, and perch on one's head. I once lost two young
birds of the Eastern species which I was rearing,
they having flown out of the window. They were away
all that night and all next day and night. But on the
morning following, I was in the street just outside of the
compound and saw them flying overhead. I called to
them, and they came down close and allowed me to catch
them with very little trouble. Birds like this can easily
be tamed to live free about a garden, though some will
inevitably be lost in the training, as all are not equally
clever.

Native bird-trainers perform wonderful feats with
trained Bayas, teaching them to fire a cannon, fetch and
carry, and so forth. The Eastern Baya, which is the only
species living near Calcutta, is only of use for training or
keeping as a pet. It is too dull for an aviary bird, though
the handsome yellow-breasted Western Baya is very
suitable for this purpose. This species is the only one
found in the Bombay market, and a good many specimens
are brought down to Calcutta from Lucknow, but usually
only cocks.

THE FINCHES. 81

Anyone wishing to keep Weavers should get about a
dozen — pairs if possible — and give them. plenty of room.
They should not be associated with any birds weaker in
the bill than themselves, such as Canaries, as they have
a nasty trick of biting the feet of other birds, and are
generally spiteful in disposition. But the bright colours
of the breeding males, and their very interesting habits,
render them well worth keeping with such companions as
Java Sparrows, Budgerigars, or Doves. They will breed
in captivity, and should have some insect-food at nesting-
time.

Two other species of Weavers are common in India, the
Bengal Weaver (Ploceus bengalensis), easily distinguished
by its blue-grey bill, and the Striated Weaver (Ploceus
manyar) which is heavily streaked with black beneath.

Another species, though so far very rare and little
known, needs mention here, as most of the recorded
specimens have been met with in captivity. This is
the Large-billed Weaver of the Terai (Ploceus megar-
hynchus) which has been confused with the Eastern Baya
Weaver in ornithological works. The male of this species
in its winter plumage and the female always is much like
the ordinary Weavers in the corresponding garb, but
noticeably larger, being almost as big as the Pawi or small
Grey-headed Mynah. It is also of a duller brown and
less streaked ; but these points were not considered
sufficient to distinguish it by anyone except Mr. Hume,
until I found, quite by accident, that the summer-
plumaged male was very different from our other species.
It is much more yellow, this colour extending all over
F, GAB 6

82 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

the undersurface of the body and nearly all over the
head, so that practically the only brown parts are the
wings and tail.

My friend Mr. E. W. Harper secured a specimen of
this fine bird lately, which passed into the possession
of a well-known naturalist at home. This was procured
in Tiretta Bazar at Calcutta, and some time later a dozen
birds of the species turned up there, and were bought
for training by a Parsee resident of that city, who took
them to England for exhibition. The two birds, on
which I was able to re-establish the species which
Mr. Hume had first named from two skins, were obtained
from the late Mr. Rutledge at Entally, so that in Calcutta
one has the best chance of coming across one of the rarest
and least known of Indian birds, only the few specimens
I have alluded to being known to exist.

A very handsome foreign Weaver is often to be found
for sale in the Bombay market, and now and then in
Calcutta. This is : —

THE MADAGASCAR WEAVER (Foudia madagascariensis)*
called the Mauritius Baya by Calcutta dealers ; and the
Scarlet Bishop by English ones at home. It is a well-
known cage-bird, and has been turned loose in several
places and allowed to go wild, as in Mauritius ; its natural
home being of course Madagascar.

It is a little smaller and weaker in bill than the true
Baya of India, but otherwise much resembles it in the
sparrow-like winter plumage, which is, however, darker.
The hens, of course, always retain this dress, but the
cock in spring becomes of a splendid scarlet almost all

THE FINCHES. 83

over, but the wings and tail are of a streaky brown, and
there is a black stripe along each side of the face. This
brilliant little bird makes a fine addition to an aviary,
but should be kept with strong companions, as he may
show the vicious Weaver temper. The nest is round,
not of the remarkable shape of that built by the Indian
Baya Weaver.

The Whydah-birds are not found in India, but are
confined to Africa, whence some species are regularly
exported ; they are allied to the Weavers, the males, like
cock Weaver-birds, losing their beauty of plumage after
breeding. One species can often be had in Bombay.

THE PARADISE WHYDAH (Steganura paradisea)* This
species is, when " out of colour," about the size of a
Canary, and not unlike it in shape, with a rather small
bill ; its plumage is pale brown with dark streaks, the
crown of the head being black with a few broad streaks
of a light colour. The hen is always like this, but the
cock, when in full summer plumage, is a very different
and most remarkable bird. His tail becomes about twice
his whole length of body, and droops in a graceful curve,
the long feathers being also very broad. The plumage
turns to a velvety black, with the exception of the neck,
which is chestnut, and of the belly, which is white.
Altogether, he has a very distinguished appearance, and
it is amusing to see him, when on the ground, arching his
big tail to keep it out of the dirt. The Paradise Whydah
is a harmless, hardy, and long-lived bird ; but, from the
size of his tail, he is not suited for a cage, though a great
acquisition in an aviary, where he may be induced to

84 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

breed. If signs of nesting are apparent, insects or soft
food should be supplied ; at other times the ordinary
canary and millet seed, etc., will be sufficient.

Very different from the quarrelsome Weavers are their
near relatives, the Munias, thick-billed little Finches of
clumsy form, but very sleek and richly-coloured plumage,
which is alike in the sexes. They are usually small, but
there is one fairly large species ; in disposition they are
good-natured and very sociable.

THE JAVA SPARROW (Munia oryzibara),* although a
foreign bird, is well known in India, being called Ramgora
in Bengal. Its native home is Java, but it has been
introduced into many other parts of the world, accidentally
or by intention, and has been wild for half a century in
Madras. In the eastern islands where it is most common
it is extremely destructive to paddy, whence it is some-
times called the rice-bird ; but it is not known to do any
harm in India. Very many are imported as cage-birds,
and usually come in very fine condition, as they bear
captivity well. The bird is figured on Plate VI (Fig. 3),
but no uncoloured picture can do justice to the exquisite
lavender-grey of its plumage, so sleek that the bird looks
as if modelled in wax, while its rose-red beak is as deli-
cately shaded as the petal of a flower. The cock and hen
are alike as far as plumage goes, but if several are
examined there is a good chance of getting a pair if one
picks out one specimen with a noticeably big bill and another
with a perceptibly smaller one. As they are very cheap,
and several pairs will live and breed in the same aviary,
it is just as well to buy half-a-dozen at once, if they are

THE FINCHES. 85

wanted for aviary purposes. For cages the sex does not
matter, as both are equally pretty.

The young, when first fledged, are absolutely unlike
their parents, having plain drab plumage and black bills.
The bills soon become pink, but the full plumage,
especially the black-and-white head, takes some time to
develop, and birds in a state of transition may often be
seen in the bird-dealers' cages ; though I have never seen
a quite young one in such collections.

Although Java Sparrows look particularly uniform in
appearance, they have produced a well-marked variety,
which is cultivated in a tame state in China and Japan
as Canaries are with us. This is the White Java Sparrow,
also a common inmate of the bird-dealers' cages ; it is,
however, much dearer than the wild grey birds. It is a
beautiful creature in its way, looking as if moulded from
snow, and retaining the pink beak of the naturally coloured
bird. A good many specimens show some of the natural
grey colour, chiefly on the back, and such should not, of
course, be bought ; but it is generally easy to get quite
pure white ones. It is not so very difficult to tell the
sexes apart in the white tame Javas, as the difference in
the bills seems to be more marked than in the wild birds.
Of course these white birds will breed readily in
captivity ; so will the wild grey ones, if they have enough
room ; and both may be kept together without much
fear of inter-mixture if they have mates of their own
colour. For nesting they need cocoanut husks or small
boxes with holes in them, and a supply of hay, coir, etc.
When they have young, some soft food, such as egg and

$6 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

biscuit or satoo, should be provided, and it is as well to get
them used to this beforehand. Java Sparrows are not
aggressive birds, but they should never be shut up closely
with weaker ones, as they are given to foot-biting, espe-
cially the white ones, which are more vicious and bigger
than the grey birds. With such birds as Weavers and
Budgerigars they will do very well. The cock Java has
a rather pretty bubbling song, but the notes of the two
varieties are not quite the same. Their ordinary voice
is a liquid chirp, very pleasant to hear, and, altogether,
if it could be so arranged, they would be very nice substi-
tutes, as town birds, for that scoundrel Philip Sparrow.
I found them established as citizens in Zanzibar ten
years ago, and tried to start them in Calcutta, but they
always flew straight away, when turned out. However,
I have seen a few in the Museum compound, so perhaps
they linger somewhere.

The Java Sparrow is nearly as big as the common House-
Sparrow, but most of the Munias are only about half
this size. They are very commonly kept, but it must be
confessed they are desperately uninteresting little birds,
and I do not advise any one to begin with them, although
they are rather pretty and very cheap. One of the
commonest, and one particularly suitable for notice here,
as it often comes into gardens, is : —

THE NUTMEG-BIRD (Uroloncha punctulata), so called by
English dealers, who also know it as the Spice-bird ; by
natives it is called the Tilia Muniaoi Spotted Munia.
This is figured on Plate II, where Fig. 3 will give a general
idea of it. Both cock and hen are alike, but the young

THE FINCHES. 87

are absolutely different, being plain light brown throughout.
In this state they are almost exactly like the young of
another very common Munia, the Black-headed Nun of
English dealers (Munia atricapilla), which, when adult,
is rich chestnut with a jet-black head and belly. The
Spotted Munia is found nearly all. over the Empire, but
does not go very high up in the Himalayas ; I have seen
it breeding in the compound of the Forest School at Dehra
Dun. Munias do not breed in company like Weavers,
and their nests are very different, being large balls of
grass, with an opening in one side, placed in a bush.
About half-a-dozen small white eggs are laid, and in the
case of the present species, at any rate, the whole family,
parents and children, use the nest as a dormitory when
the latter are fledged. This is the opportunity of the
wily native, who, approaching the little snuggery at
night, closes its mouth with a cloth and carries off the
inmates.

The Nutmeg-bird, like most other Munias, has a most
peculiar song ; he goes through all the motions of singing
with rather an extra display of energy, but hardly a sound
escapes him audibly to us ; no doubt, however, his mate
hears and appreciates his " top-notes."

THE SHARP-TAILED MUNIA (Uroloncha acuticauda)
much resembles the Nutmeg-bird in size and form, but is
slightly smaller with a longer tail. In colour it is dark
brown, with the flanks and belly very pale brown, sharply-
contrasted ; all the feathers have pale shafts, which gives
the plumage a streaky appearance. The bill is black
above and blue-grey below. This bird in its natural

88 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

state is not common in captivity, but the domesticated
variety bred by the Japanese is commonly for sale both
in England and at Calcutta.

These tame birds, rather absurdly called Bengalees in
England, fall into three varieties. The commonest show
the dark-brown plumage of the wild bird more or less
pied with white, some being nearly all white, and some
only having a few white feathers, while a great many
are half-and-half, the marking being always irregular.

Then there is a cinnamon variety, which is more or
less pied with white, like the last, but has the coloured
parts cinnamon instead of dark brown. Sometimes a
cinnamon bird with no pure white is found, but rarely.

Last and rarest, and much the prettiest, are the pure
white birds, with flesh-coloured bills and feet. The beaks
and feet of the cinnamon birds are also flesh-coloured,
as are those of the dark-pied birds if the white greatly
predominates.

Of course all these varieties, being cage-bred, will
reproduce freely in captivity, and it would be worth
while taking a little trouble to get a good strain of pure
white ones. A pair will breed even in a cage, and the
love-dance and song of the male will be found amusing,
for he can succeed in getting out a few notes. Canary
and millet will do for them at ordinary times, but when
breeding they will need some egg-food. Any hollow
receptacle will serve as a place in which they may
nest. *

Although known to our dealers as the Japan Munia, the
Striated Munia is in its original state an Indian bird,

THE FINCHES. 89

inhabiting the lower ranges of the Himalayas, and extend-
ing east to Tenasserim, South China, and Sumatra ; but
it is not common in India.

The other Munias are far less interesting than these
domestic ones, and, as I said above, are hardly worth
keeping as pets. Besides the Spotted and the Black-
headed species mentioned, the Silver-bill (Uroloncha
malabarica}* is very common ; it is a little drab bird,
creamy-white below, with a blue bill and a long sharp
black tail. There are several less common species which
need not be mentioned ; they are all easy to keep, like
those I have dealt with. Except the domestic species, how-
ever, Munias do not breed at all freely in captivity ; in this
the}7 differ much from a near relative of theirs, which is
often imported, and deserves special notice.

THE ZEBRA FINCH (Tceniopygia castanotis),* sometimes
called the Rockhampton Finch, is a native of Australia,
and has become very popular with bird-keepers. It is a
very tiny creature, only about four inches long, with a
stout bill like the Munias, but smaller feet. The plumage
is grey above and white below, and the tail is black, with
some large spots of white at the root above. There are
two vertical black stripes on the face, and the bill is
sealing-wax red, the feet being of a duller red.

The cock can easily be distinguished from the hen ; he
has an orange patch on each cheek, his breast is crossed
by fine black lines, and along his flanks runs a chestnut
band with white dots ; altogether he is a very fine little
fellow. The young are at first like the hen, but with
black instead of red bills.

90 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

The Zebra Finch is not common in the Calcutta Bazar,
but may be obtained at times, and is always worth getting
as it is one of the easiest birds to breed in captivity and
propagates as freely as a Sparrow. The nest is not built
in a hole, but in the branches of a bush ; a small cage
with the door removed will be readily accepted as a
substitute. The eggs are pure white. Zebra Finches will
live well on canary and millet, but need egg-food when
breeding. At all times some green food, such as seeding
grass, green paddy, lettuce, etc., should be supplied.
The cock has a very funny little song, quite unmusical,
but strangely metrical ; it is a stanza of four lines, so to
speak, the last much the shortest. The ordinary note of
these birds, which they utter continuously, irresistibly
reminds one of those toys which squeak when they are
pinched.

THE AVADAVAT (Sporceginthus amandava), the Lai
Munia, or simply Lai, of the natives, is a very familiar
representative of the Waxbills, very beautiful tiny Finches
with red beaks of only moderate size. They are very
sociable and have pretty little voices.

The Avadavat is a very small bird, barely exceeding
four inches ; in colour the cock is very handsome, being
nearly all red with white spots. But this plumage, in
which he is figured on Plate I, Fig. 3, is only borne during
the breeding season ; at other times he resembles the hen,
which is always brown above and buff below, with a touch
of red above the tail and a few white spots on the wings.
Both have red bills and flesh-coloured feet. The young
birds are plain brown with black bills.

THE FINCHES. 91

The Avadavat is one of the birds most commonly caged
in India and has been exported to Europe for centuries ;
indeed, the very name is a corruption of Ahmedabad,
the city whence presumably they used to be consigned.
The bird, although not frequenting compounds and gardens,
is a very common one, being found all over India and
Ceylon, and extending east to Singapore and Java.
Burmese specimens, and those from Flores and Timor,
are considered a distinct species (Sporceginthus flavi-
diventris), because the males have an orange belly instead
of a black one, the ordinary cock Avadavat being very
dark below. It is very probable that the light-bellied
bird is merely a variety, which has become fixed in some
localities. This Burmese bird breeds in October and
November, but the Indian one in the rains as well, having
apparently two broods a year. The nest is a round one,
placed near the ground, and the eggs are white. The
cock has a clear and pretty, though short, little song.

The Avadavat lives well as a cage or aviary bird, but
seldom breeds in confinement. In a cage he should not
be crowded up with Munias, which have so much stronger
bills, although this is too frequently done. He should
have a little egg-food at all times if he will eat it, and
plenty of flowering grass, as well as the usual canary and
millet. Well treated, these tiny things will live for years.
There is only one other Indian Waxbill, the green
Avadavat (Stictospiza formosa), whose name denotes its
colour ; one or two foreign species are also imported at
times, and all these very small birds may well be kept
together.

92 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

The more typical Finches, as opposed to the Weavers
and Munias, are usually migrants or birds of high eleva-
tions in India, and seldom frequent human habitations.
In the aviary, moreover, they are not very interesting,
but some deserve special notice, and all are readily kept.

THE TREE SPARROW (Passer montanus) much resem-
bles the too familiar House-Sparrow, both sexes being
like the male of that bird, for in the Tree Sparrow the hen
is just as handsome as the cock. The Tree Sparrow is,
however, a smaller and slighter bird than " Philip," has a
pinky-chocolate cap instead of a grey one, and a black
patch on the white of the cheek.

It takes the Common Sparrow's place as a house-bird
where the other is not found, but where the House-Sparrow
resides he forces his weaker relative to forego the joys
of a city existence. I have mentioned the House-Sparrow
but to condemn him, but the Tree Sparrow is a much
more respectable character ; he is less rowdy, less imper-
tinent, and less prolific, and as he is just as hardy and
considerably prettier, may be commended to those people
who go about introducing Sparrows — " to make the place
look homelike " as a far more suitable subject than Cousin
Philip. Most people do not notice the difference between
them, but may wonder, where the Tree Sparrow is the
citizen, why all they see appear to be cocks. The Tree
Sparrow is in full force at Darjeeling, and is found all
along the Himalayas, and from Assam south to Tenas-
serim. In the plains of India it is wanting ; but it has
a very wide range outside our Empire, from the Faros
Islands to Java. In England it is not common ; it

THE FINCHES. 93

builds in holes like the House-Sparrow, and lays similar
eggs.

THE CANARY (Serinus canaria)* may fairly be called
the most popular of all Finches. A native of the Islands
whose name he bears, he has been domesticated for three
centuries at least, and is a household pet everywhere.
The wild bird is a little smaller than an ordinary tame one,
and is in colour olive-green with darker streaks ; many
tame Canaries show this colour, and many also are pied
green and yellow, but the pure yellow has now become the
common, and even proverbial colour of the bird. Fanciers
recognize two shades of this colour ; the " yellow "
properly speaking being of a bright rich colour, while the
light-yellow birds running into white are called " buff."
The true yellow is rarely seen in India, almost all the
numerous birds imported from China being buffs, though a
few are green or pied. Cinnamon is another colour not
seen in Chinese Canaries, but many English birds show it.
It is a pale brown with darker streaks ; and birds may
be pied with cinnamon just as some are pied with green.
In England, Canaries destined for shows are colour-fed, as
it is called ; that is to say, during the moult, they are fed
largely on egg-food with which a red colouring matter,
mainly composed of cayenne pepper, has been liberally
mixed. Instead of green food, marigold flowers are given
them. On this diet, they moult out in much enhanced
plumage, a yellow or buff bird becoming orange, and a
cinnamon one brick-red ; greens are not colour-fed.

Of course the effect of this feeding is not permanent ;
at the next moult, unless the tinted rations are again

94 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

supplied, the bird reverts to its natural colour. But the
effect is so striking that colour-feeding is constantly prac-
tised, as no bird with a natural complexion has any chance
of winning prizes nowadays in most of the breeds.

A good deal of alteration in the form of the Canary has
also been effected since it was tamed. The Chinese birds
commonly seen in Calcutta have departed little from the
wild type in shape and size. But many English birds are
twice as big as Chinese specimens ; birds with crests formed
of radiating feathers are common ; and in the Scotch and
Belgian Canaries, the form is very large and thin, and the
common position a craning or stooping one. The song
of the Canary is of course its great recommendation as a
cage-bird, as it is more melodious than that of most
Finches, and better sustained than that of almost any bird ;
and in Germany, where the song has been specially culti-
vated, it has been brought to great perfection, by breeding
from the best singers and their female relatives.

In England, song is neglected by fanciers, size, colour,
etc., being the points attended to ; hence the English
birds, being so large and fine, have often very loud and
unpleasant voices. But it must be remembered that a
bird's song which is unpleasantly loud in the confined
rooms of an English house, would not be at all out of
place in one of our bungalows.

The Chinese birds commonly to be had in India have
nice soft voices, as have also the Maltese. As the cock
and hen Canary are almost exactly alike, the only way to
get a cock bird, if you are not sure of the seller, is simply
to insist on hearing a bird sing, and to make sure you get

THE FINCHES. 95

that identical specimen. Most people like a yellow bird
best, but the green ones are the strongest, as is usually
the case with domestic animals when they retain the wild
colour. Green or pied birds are often called mules, but
this is a mistake, the true mule Canary being the hybrid
offspring of a Canary and some other Finch, usually a
Goldfinch. Real mule Canaries are barren, but they are
good songsters and very strong and hardy.

The breeding of Canaries is easily managed. They may
be kept in pairs in cages, or a cock and two or three hens
may be turned into a small aviary ; in a large one more
than one cock may be placed, but there should always be
plenty of hens, for the Canary, although not naturally
a polygamous bird, will, if opportunity allows, take to
himself more than one wife, and thus a large number of
young can be reared. Only small and harmless birds
should be put with Canaries in an aviary, as they are not
very well able to look after themselves ; indeed, in the
French slang " serin " (Canary) appears to be synonymous
with " muff " in ours. Zebra Finches and Japan Munias
would be suitable company for them, and all would breed.

When nesting they should have little open baskets
given them to build in, and some moss and cow-hair as
building material. The eggs are pale-blue with brown
spots, and hatch in a fortnight, this being the usual period
with small birds.

When the young are expected, some egg-food should be
supplied, a crumbly paste of hard-boiled egg and biscuit,
and salad and other green food be always on hand. Egg-
food is also good for the birds when moulting.

96 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

As there is a steady demand for singing Canaries, they
are profitable to breed. The large English birds fetch
good prices, up to twenty rupees, whereas a Chinese
songster can be got for five or less. I should advise anyone
who wishes to go in for breeding Canaries in India to get
some fine English birds and cross them with Chinese hens,
mating the best of the hens thus bred back to the English
stock, though not of course to their own parents. In this
way a good strain could be started at small expense.

If crested birds are obtained, two must not be mated
together, or the offspring, strangely enough, will have bad
crests ; instead, a crested bird should be mated to a "crest-
bred " one, that is, a plain-headed bird whose mother or
father had a crest. It must also be remembered, in dealing
with crested birds, that they often cannot see very well on
account of the crest. Desirable as bright colour is, also, it-
will not do to pair " yellows " together, as if these bright
specimens are mated, the offspring becomes lamentably
scanty in feather. The proper mate for the bright yellow
is the paler yellow or " buff," which has a thicker plumage.

Of the English breeds of Canaries "the Norwich is about
the best for general purposes. It is of good colour and
large size, with no marked peculiarity of shape. It may be
yellow or pied, and plain-headed or crested. The Border
Fancy is a similar breed, but quite small in size.

The Lancashire Coppy is a very large breed, of which
the prize specimens are crested.

The Belgian is a plain-headed breed, long and slender
in shape, with a very long neck and high shoulders, the
head being carried low.

PLATE V.

Oiie-Jtalj' Natural Size.

I.-PUBPLE HONEYSUCKER (Purple, orange side tufts). 2.-SrECTACLE-BlRD (Olive-yellow, white
eye rings). 3.— WHITE-EARED BULBUL (Drab; black and white head). 4.— PEKIN ROBIN
(Olive-green, orange and yellow below). 5 —GOLD-FRONTED GREEN BULBUL (Green ; gold
forehead, blue and black throat)

THE FINCHES. 97

The Scotch Fancy is somewhat similar, but has a rather
different carriage, the head being higher, while the
shoulders do not project.

These curiously shaped birds are not to be recommended
to beginners.

The Lizard is a small ordinary-shaped bird, with dark
plumage spotted with pale, or bright yellow and pale, or
bright yellow cap. It is exceedingly pretty, but not very
common. The pale specimens are called silver, and the
bright ones golden.

THE HIMALAYAN SISKIN (Hypacanthis spinoides) is
about the size of a Canary, but has a shorter tail. The
face, tail and wings are marked with black and yellow,
the back is dark-brown, and the underparts of the body
yellow. The hen is less bright than the cock. The
young bird is duller still, and has dark streaks on the
yellow of the lower plumage.

This very pretty and lively Finch is found all along
the Himalayas and in Manipur, It comes lower down
than most Finches, and I have found it in flocks in the
station of Darjeeling in March. It breeds late, in July
and August, building, like most true Finches, an open
nest ; this is made of fine grass, hair, and moss in a branch
of a tree. Only three eggs are laid, pale green marked
with black. In captivity this bird lives well, and a few
may usually be seen for sale in the Calcutta Bird Bazar.
I have no doubt that the cock could be successfully paired
with the hen Canary, and the mule ought to be a pretty
bird and a nice songster. But most mules with the Canary
are bred from the bird next to be noticed.

p, GAB 7

98 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

THE EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH (Fringilla carduelis)* is of
course only known in India as an imported bird ; it does
not naturally range further East than Persia, where the
range of many European birds appears to end. Its gene-
ral appearance is well shown by Fig. 4 in Plate VI ; it is
unnecessary to describe its colouring in detail, as its bright
red face and yellow-and-black \vings easily distinguish
it from other Finches. The hen is very like the cock,
being merely a little Jess bright and shorter in the bill ;
but the two need generally to be seen together for the
difference to be appreciated. Young birds, called " grey-
pates " by English bird-fanciers, have streaky drab heads
with none of the red, white, and black markings which are
so striking in their parents.

Goldfinches vary much in appearance, the Russian,
Siberian, and Persian birds, being much superior in size,
strength of bill, and beauty of colour to Western European
specimens.

The Goldfinch is the prettiest and most interesting of
all European Finches, and is a great favourite with bird-
fanciers wherever it is found. Its song is only moderately
good, but its ordinary notes are sweet and cheerful, while it
is lively and active in its movements and much more grace-
ful in form than Finches generally are. In the wild state
it feeds on the seeds of the thistle and other composite-flow-
ered plants whenever it can get them, and in captivity it
will eat, and indeed needs, an amount of hemp-seed which
would seriously upset most birds' internal arrangements.

It will breed in confinement, and has done so even in
India, so Mr. R. B. Sanyal tells me ; in Europe it is seldom

THE FINCHES. 99

bred, but very commonly crossed with the Canary, the
two birds being kept together for some time to accustom
them to each other. The Goldfinch will also cross in
captivity with several other Finches.

Goldfinches are most easily got in Bombay, but a few
may now and then be obtained in Calcutta too. It is a
curious fact that they bear the heat of the Indian climate
better than many of the native tropical birds ; at any
rate they do not pant for breath as the latter may often
be seen to do. The only other species of Goldfinch known
(Carduelis caniceps), occurs in India as a denizen of the
Himalayas at considerable heights ; but it is less regularly
obtainable in our markets than the European bird. It is
very much like this, but less handsome, having no black
or white behind the red of the face, and being of a drab
colour instead of brown.

It is, however, stated by some to be a better songster.
Where this bird meets the European Goldfinch they in-
terbreed and become confused.

THE RED-CRESTED CARDINAL (Paroaria cucullata)* of
South America is the last Finch I shall notice. This ex-
ceedingly pretty and graceful bird, Fig. 1 on Plate VI,
is often to be had in Bombay and less commonly in
Calcutta. Both male and female have the same bright
colouring, and the young only differ in having the head dull
orange instead of scarlet. The cock has a stouter and less
tapering bill than the hen, but the difference is very slight ;
the red on the breast also extends further down in him.

Although several of these Cardinals may be seen packed
together in one cage, and apparently agreeing very well,

100 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

it is not advisable to put more than one pair into an aviary
as they are hard fighters. Nor should they be associated
with small and weak-billed birds such as Waxbills and
Canaries as they have been known to devour the brains of
such ! But this was probably when they were debarred
from their natural insect food : for they are more insec-
tivorous than most Finches, and should always have a few
insects or a little egg-food daily. Too much soft food
should not be given, as they are rather apt to get unduly
fat. They have been known to breed in confinement
in Europe, making an open nest in a bush. When they
are breeding, particular care should be taken to keep up a
good supply of insects. Scarcely any Finch is such a
desirable aviary bird as this. It is big enough to be
striking, easily kept, and hardy and long-lived in either
a hot or cold climate, and its notes are not unmusical,
though it cannot be called a great songster.

THE SWALLOWS.

The Swallows are an even better-marked family than
the Finches, and, like them, are found nearly everywhere.
They have small, flat, pointed beaks, wide mouths, very
small legs and feet, extremely long wings, and usually a
forked tail — indeed their form is so familiar that they
hardly need description. They feed entirely on small
insects caught on the wing, and seldom perch, selecting a
dead bough or telegraph wire when they do settle. On
the ground they are very rarely seen, and when there they
Walk, or rather waddle, instead of hopping like most small

SWALLOWS. 101

birds. Most of their time is spent on the wing, and they
drink and even wash while flying.

They have to come down to get material for their nests,
which are made of mud, and generally fixed to buildings,
the Swallows having very early ratified an alliance with
man, who has always regarded these beautiful and useful
birds with favour.

In the Swallows the male and female are very nearly
alike, and the young, although much duller, can generally
be recognized in each species by their resemblance to their
parents. Swallows are migratory in regions where there
is a hard winter, but in warm countries many resident
birds are found, as in India. The House-Sparrow is a
great enemy to them, seizing on their nests, and where
that bird becomes common the Swallows are not long in
disappearing from houses. People who are fond of the
Swallows should keep Sparrows rigidly in check, and put
up little ledges in suitable places to afford foundations for
the Swallows' nests — it is easy to see where they prefer
to build. The dirt made by the birds need be no draw-
back, as it is easy to fix a board under the nest to catch it.
If thus kindly treated, Swallows will frequent the same
house for years, and be of great service in destroying
mosquitoes and flies.

Swallows are, of course, quite unsuited to captivity,
but, as some one of my readers may be public-spirited
enough to try to introduce some of these charming and
useful birds into the few countries where they are not yet
found, it is just as well to mention that they can be kept,
even in cages, for several months, though I believe they

102 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

have rarely been got successfully through the moult in
confinement. Their cages must be large, at least two or
three feet long, and have but two perches, which should
be covered with cloth, as the birds' feet are tender. The
food should consist of insects mixed up in a paste of hard-
boiled egg and satoo, which they can be taught to eat by
giving them insects only at first. Swallows generally
are called Ababil in Hindustani.

Of the rather numerous species found in India, three
may be noticed here.

THE HOUSE-SWALLOW (Hirundo rustica) is the best
known of the whole family, being found all over Europe
and Africa and a large part of Asia ; it is very common in
England in summer, and in India breeds all along the
Himalayas at moderate elevations, coming down to the
plains in winter. To distinguish this familiar bird from
other Swallows it may be described ; the plumage is steel-
blue above and cream-coloured below, with the forehead
and throat chestnut-red, followed by a blue-black band
across the breast ; on the tail is a row of white spots, and
the outer feathers are very long, especially in the male,
forming the proverbial " Swallow-tail " fork.

Young birds are very dull in colour, showing but little
blue gloss, and with the face a sort of dull buff tint. A few
birds in this plumage may turn up in the plains at any
time of the year.

This description applies to the House-Swallow in its
pure form, but many specimens show traces of a cross
with the Eastern House-Swallow (Hirundo gutturalis),
which inhabits Eastern Asia, migrating south in winter,

THE SWALLOWS. 103

when it is common in Burma. This bird is smaller than
the House- Swallow proper, and has a less forked tail ;
moreover its colour is rather different, as the red of the
throat runs down nearly through the black band of the
breast, and the parts below this are pure white instead of
cream colour.

The House-Swallow builds a cup-shaped mud nest,
and lines it with feathers ; the eggs are white or pale pink
with red and purple spots, and four or five in number ;
its breeding time in the Himalayas is April and May, and
it frequents houses and outbuildings as it does at home.
The House and Sand-Martins (Chelidon urbica and Colile
riparia) are also found in India, but are not common
birds.

THE WIRE-TAILED SWALLOW (Hirundo smithii), called
Leishra in Hindustani, is a non-migratory species inhabit-
ing both India and Africa, but in the Himalayas it is only
a summer visitant. It is a little smaller than the House-
Swallow, but has the two outer tail feathers very much
longer, so as to look like threads or wires ; in the male
they may exceed the other tail feathers by five inches,
thus equalling the length of the body of the bird ; in the
hen they are not quite so long.

This is a very prettily-coloured Swallow, the upper
parts being steel-blue, with white spots in the tail; the
crown is chestnut-red, and all the underparts pure white.

Young birds have duller caps and cream-coloured
breasts, and their tails are not so long as those of old ones.

This bird breeds at any time of the year, according to
locality ; the nest is cup-shaped, and the eggs white with

104 . GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

red and brown spots ; the clutch does not exceed four.
The nest is usually placed under an arch, such as a bridge,
but also on rocks near water, and I have found it in the
verandahs of buildings at Dehra Dun, the only place where
I have seen the bird. It has one note so exactly like the
" tweet " of the Canary that the resemblance is most
misleading, making one think that there is an escaped
Canary somewhere about. In Bengal and Assam this
Swallow is not common, if it is found at all.

THE STRIATED SWALLOW (Hirundo erythropyyia), called
Masjid ababil by the natives, is a well-known species
which always resides in the plains of India, but is not
found to the eastward, and is rare in Ceylon. It is rather
smaller than the House-Swallow, and has the upper parts
entirely steel-blue, with the exception of a chestnut patch
on the lower part of the back ; underneath it is cream-
colour, finely streaked with black. In young birds the
streaks are not so well marked, but the reddish back at
once distinguishes this species from our other common
Swallows.

It also builds a very different nest, this being shaped
like a bottle with a neck, fastened by its side against
a wall or rock. The eggs are pure white, and only three
are laid, the breeding season being from April to August.
A very similar but rather larger Swallow (Hirundo
nipalensis) is found all along the Himalayas in summer,
coming down to the plains in winter. It often breeds in
verandahs ; I found it doing so in the Hotel at Kurseong.
The nest is like that of its relative of the plains. There
are some other species of red-backed striped Swallows

THE WAGTAILS. 105

in India, but they are rare, and all the group look very
much alike.

THE WAGTAILS.

The Wagtails and Pipits form a family of small insect-
eating birds of very graceful shape and active habits
which live almost entirely on the ground, running about
instead of hopping like most small birds. The Pipits
are dull streaky-brown birds, not particularly interesting
either in appearance or habits, but the Wagtails are
much better known on account of their conspicuous
appearance, and it is with them alone that I shall deal
here. Their tails are long, but even at the tip, not forked
or sloped like those of most long-tailed birds, and they
are constantly moving them up and down. Their legs
are also rather long, and their bills slender, but of moderate
length. They are extremely active birds on the ground,
but do not perch much. They are good fliers, and when
on the wing progress in bounds or curves, alternately
closing and opening their wings. Most small birds fly
in this way, but it is particularly marked in the Wagtails.
Possibly the idea in closing the wings and swinging along
in curves is to get an impetus which their light weight
would make unattainable otherwise, for no large bird
flies like this.

Although a good many collect together in winter,
Wagtails cannot be called really sociable birds, and are
evidently happiest alone, except when breeding. The
cock and hen do not differ much in appearance, but the
young are sometimes very different from them. The nest

106 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

is made near the ground or even on it, in some hole or
other, and the eggs are speckled with brown.

Wagtails are only found in open ground, and are
particularly fond of the neighbourhood of water, in which
they wade and paddle like Sandpipers. They are most
useful as well as ornamental birds, and deserve every
protection ; they would also be useful birds to acclimatise
where insectivorous species are needed, as their diet is
so exclusively restricted to insects that they can do no
harm at all.

Wagtails are found nearly all over the Eastern
Hemisphere, usually migrating southwards in winter, but
none are inhabitants of Australia or New Zealand, and one
or two kinds only invade America. Wherever they occur
they are common and familiar birds, and generally popular.
They are seldom kept in confinement, and are not suited
for cage-life, but in an aviary they do very well, being
easier to keep than most small insectivorous birds.
Delicate and fragile as they look, however, they are most
savage birds, and it is impossible to keep even two of
different species together unless they be cock and hen.
In this case, however, they have been known to interbreed
in captivity.

There are good many species of Wagtails in India,
mostly winter visitors ; the natives know them generally
as Dhobrin, a name which exactly corresponds to the
French Lavandiere ; I suppose the wagging of the bird's
tail and its fondness for water have suggested a com-
parison with the wife of the miscreant who batters
clothes.

THE WAGTAILS. 107

Wagtails are, as a group, most difficult to identify ; it
is easy to tell the pied ones from the yellow ones, it is
true, but there are several kinds in each section, and, with
their changes of plumage according to age and season,
they are not the birds for the beginner to attempt to
identify.

Fortunately, however, the two best known kinds are
easily distinguished from all the rest, and these are the
only ones which need be treated at length here.

THE LARGE PIED WAGTAIL (Motacilla madraspatensis), is
called Mamula or Khanjan in Hindustani ; it is the largest
of the Wagtails, and is the only one which is resident
in the plains. Apart from its size — it is about nine inches
long — its markings are very characteristic. The male is
altogether black and white ; the general plumage being
black, with the eyebrows, belly, sides of the tail, and most
of the wing white. The hen is smaller and has the back
grey instead of black, but otherwise is just like the cock.

Young birds are drab where the old ones are black,
and the white parts of the plumage are not so pure. This
species differs from other Pied Wagtails in showing so
little white about the head. The Large Pied Wagtail is
confined to India and Ceylon, and is rare in Eastern
Bengal, though I have once seen it in Calcutta. It does
net go far up the Himalayas, but ascends the South Indian
hills up to eight thousand feet.

It builds a small pad of a nest in any convenient hole
in a bank or building and lays four brown-spotted eggs.
Unlike most Wagtails, it is a good songster, and is
sometimes caged on this account, but can very rarely be

108 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

obtained in the Calcutta market. I do not recommend
any one to keep such a bird in a cage, however, as it ought
to have a great deal of room to run about and paddle
in water.

THE GREY WAGTAIL (Motacilla melanope), although
more than seven inches long, is a particularly slender
and delicate-looking bird, the most dainty and graceful
of all the Wagtails. Its tail is particularly long, and
hardly ever still. As this bird is usually seen in winter,
it is bluish-grey above, except the lower part of the back
which is yellowish-green ; the centre of the tail is black,
and its side feathers mostly white ; the eyebrows are
white, and so is the throat ; the rest of the lower plumage
is yellow. Both sexes have this plumage, but in spring
the male's throat becomes all black in the centre with a
broad white stripe on each side ; the hen merely gets a
band of black spots on each side of the throat. Young
birds are like the old ones in winter, but with a creamy
tinge on the white markings of the plumage.

This exquisite little bird is found in summer over most
of the northern part of the Old World ; in winter it goes
south, and is one of the first birds which arrives to tell
us of the approach of the cold weather. It is always near
water, and has very little fear of men, haunting tanks in
gardens. For three years the same bird turned up every
winter at the large tank in the Indian Museum grounds,
and spent all its time there ; I* could easily identify it, as
by a curious freak of nature, two of the innermost feathers
of the wings were white, forming a V-shaped mark on the
bird's back when the wings were closed.

THE LARKS. 109

The last winter I was in India (1902) I did not see it,
but there was another bird of the same kind in the old
haunt ; large as the tank is, about sixty yards across
in the narrowest part, I never saw more than one
there.

Many of this species breed at elevations of over six
thousand feet in the Himalayas ; I have seen it at Kurseong
in spring in full wedding-dress. It breeds in May or June,
building its nest under a stone or in a bush, of fibres and
moss. There are generally five eggs, of a dirty white
speckled with yellowish-brown.

In confinement this bird has bred with the English Pied
Wagtail, and the hybrids even proved capable of breeding

THE LARKS.

Larks are rather small birds of dull drab or sandy
plumage, usually with darker streaks ; their bills vary in
shape in a manner unusual among species of the same
family, some being short and thick, and others long and
thin ; nevertheless there is something about a Lark which
makes it easily recognizable. Their wings are large,
and their tails rather short ; the hinder toe usually bears
a long straight claw, and the back of the shank is covered
with small separate scales like the front. This last point
will distinguish the Larks from the Pipits, which also
have a brown streaky plumage and a long hind claw,
and are often called Titlarks ; but they have the back
of the shank covered by two long undivided plates, like
most Passerine birds.

110 GAKDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

Larks run about on the ground like Pipits and Wagtails,
not hopping like most small birds ; but unlike the Pipits,
they roll and shuffle in sand instead of washing, and are
still less addicted to perching than those birds, remaining
almost constantly on the ground. They naturally build
on the ground also, collecting a little grass in a hollow,
and their eggs are brown-speckled.

The cock and hen are usually alike in Larks, but the
young are very different, being spotted with buff like the
young of so many Thrushes. Cock Larks are very good
songsters in many cases, and are especially noticeable,
from their habit of rising in the air to sing ; some species,
however, are much more addicted to this habit than
others, and all at times sing when sitting still.

Larks are generally more or less gregarious in winter
and some assemble in very large flocks. They feed both
on seeds and insects, and are sometimes destructive to
sprouting corn. Most of them are resident, but some
migrate long distances, such as the Skylark of Europe
(Alauda arvensis) which also inhabits the Himalayas.
As articles of food Larks have long been esteemed, and
the " Ortolan " of India is generally a small kind of Lark
(Calandrella dukhunensis) ; but the " Wortlums " of .the
bird-sellers in the Calcutta Provision Bazar may be
almost anything, and many Pipits and Wagtails are served
up under this name. The true Ortolan of Europe
(Emberiza hortulana) is a rare winter visitor in the North-
West, and never by any chance is found in the dealers'
baskets ! Something ought to be done, by the way, to
stop the cruelty of these men in keeping the poor little

THE LARKS. ill

birds in a famished condition ; not even water being
supplied them, while they are also very roughly handled,
all the quill feathers of one wing being pulled out to prevent
their escape.

The natives are very fond of keeping various Larks
as cage-birds, and have separate names for the different
species ; but curiously enough, the Skylark, so popular
at home, does not seem a favourite with fanciers in
India.

Larks will do well and live long in cages, and will of
course thrive well in an aviary also. Not more than a
pair of each species should be put in an aviary, as the
cocks are very quarrelsome. On account of their
omnivorous habits, they are easy to keep ; in captivity they
take to perching a great deal, if in a small aviary,
but not in a large one. They have seldom been bred in
confinement. As Larks, although common, are not
usually garden birds, and are not very interesting in an
aviary as a rule, I shall only notice one species which is
particularly desirable.

THE CRESTED LARK (Galerida cristata) is well known
to the natives under the name of Chendool. There is
nothing very distinctive about its plumage, which is light
brown above and creamy- white below, with darker streaks,
most strongly marked on the breast ; but it can easily
be distinguished from other Larks by its narrow crest of
a few long feathers, and by its long thin bill, this being
not unlike that of a bird of the Thrush family, but rather
longer. The tail is rather short, and the whole length of
the bird about seven inches, The hen and cock are alike.

112 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

but the young are easily distinguishable by their buff
spots.

This Lark, although not a very migratory bird, is widely
spread all along the Northern Hemisphere of the Old
World, and, although it avoids damp regions, has great
powers of enduring extremes of climate, and its tastes in
the matter of food must be accommodating, as it rather
affects barren localities. In India it is mostly confined
to the North- West, and a comparatively small proportion
of the birds that visit us remain to breed in the country.
These nest from March to June, making a small bed of
various soft materials under any shelter such as a stone,
or even a clod. Not more than three eggs are laid, white
with brown and purple spots.

The Crested Lark bears captivity well, and is a very
good songster as a cage-bird. In an aviary, judging
from one specimen I was able to observe, a bird obtained
young, it is lively and interesting, always industriously
digging in the ground, and seldom still for long.

It is also very courageous ; I saw the above bird once
stand up to a Black-throated Thrush (Merula atrigularis),
a bird twice its own size, and boldly sing in its face till
the Thrush gave way. In 1901 I had several sent to
England, and let them out in Kent, and I hope they
survived to breed. I should advise some one to repeat
the experiment, as the bird has already been found in
England on a few occasions, and would, if established,
probably thrive there. As it is a harmless bird, sings
well, and is much more familiar than most of the Larks,
it would be an acquisition in any country.

THE SUNBIBDS. 113

THE SUNBIRDS.

The Sunbirds, commonly called Honey-suckers by
Europeans, and ShaJcar khora by natives, are. most
charming littls creatures, only found in the warm parts
of the Old World. They are often mistaken for the true
Humming-birds, which they resemble in feeding on nectar
and small insects, and rival in the beauty of their plumage.
But the Humming-birds are confined to the New World,
and so none of them are ever to be seen in India.
Moreover, they have quite distinct habits from any other
birds, being constantly on the wing with a buzzing
flight like that of the hawk-moths, which insects
they resemble, rather than birds, to an inexperienced
eye. The Honey-suckers, on the other hand, hop about
the twigs like other little birds, perching on the
flower-stems to extract the honey, etc., from the blossoms,
and only hovering a little occasionally. They have long
slender bills, usually curved, and fairly long legs. Their
wings are moderate in size, but although usually very small
birds, they fly high and strongly, and do not mind exposing
themselves in the open —at any rate this is the case with
the two commonest Indian species. They build hanging
nests, and lay spotted eggs. The cocks are very brilliantly
coloured, but the hens are plain, though dainty and
graceful in appearance ; the young are like their mothers.

These lovely little birds are very tame and familiar,
coming freely into gardens, and allowing themselves to
be easily watched ; and their nests are often quite acces-
sible. Of course, I do not recommend them to be caged
in India, but it is worth mentioning that they can be
F, GAB 8

114 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

taken to England, several having been taken home of late
years. In captivity they should be fed on honey slightly
diluted with water and mixed with satoo into a thin pap,
with maggots when obtainable. When this is not the
case, some crumbled yolk of hard-boiled egg should be
mixed up in the pap. There is no trouble in getting
them to feed, and they are soon reconciled to captivity.

In any locality in England where some flowers are
always in bloom I believe one of our Himalayan species
might thrive in the open ; this is the Fire-tailed Eed
Honey-sucker (Aethopyga ignicauda), a very beautiful
species which ranges as high as 11,000 feet. But the
commonest species in India are birds of a low elevation.

THE PURPLE HONEY-SUCKER (ArachnecMhra asiatica)
is figured on Plate V (Fig. 1) ; this figure represents the
full plumaged male ; the hen is olive-coloured above
and yellow below. After breeding the cock loses his
glossy purple plumage and becomes like the hen, except
for a long narrow purple streak running from the chin
down to the breast.

This bird is found all over the Empire, but does not
ascend the hills above five thousand feet ; on the west
it goes as far as Persia, and extends eastward to Cochin
China, so that altogether it must be one of the most
abundant of all the family. It breeds more than once
a year, and the nest may be found at almost any
time. The said nest is of a somewhat oval shape and
hung from the tip of a branch ; it has an entrance as
the side, usually with a projection or eave over it. The
material used is grass, but the outside is coated with

THE SUNBTRDS. 115

cobwebs, and thickly stuck over with dead leaves, scraps
of bark, and other rubbish, including even bits of old
letters. The whole affair hardly looks like a nest, and,
though it is placed low down, no doubt often escapes
observation thereby. Only two or three eggs are laid,
white speckled with brown.

This is to my mind one of the most charming of all
Indian birds. The male, in addition to his beauty,
possesses a very pretty song somewhat like that of a Canary,
and he is a very free songster, warbling almost continually,
even when out of breeding plumage. He is not a sociable
bird, and two are seldom seen together. In the breeding
season the flame-coloured tufts which spring from the
arm-pits are freely displayed, but ordinarily they are not
noticeable, though I have noticed that in captive birds
they show up when the owner settles down to roost. The
male at all events has a strong attachment to localities ;
I remember one which continually haunted the same two
or three trees, and habitually sang from one particular
twig. I noticed a similar attachment to one perch in a
bird I had caged, which I took home with me in 1900
to the London Zoological Gardens, this being the first
sunbird to reach England alive. But as he was in moult
when I got him, and the completion of the process was
stopped by the journey, he unfortunately did not live
long after arrival.

The year before I left India, I remember being delighted
by an instance of the tameness of these little birds. I
saw one on a tree close to my verandah, and wishing to
get a better look at him, approached the edge when to

116 GAKDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

my astonishment, the bird began to come nearer, and
gave me as good a view as I could have wished, seeming
quite as much interested in me as I was in him.

THE YELLOW-BREASTED OR AMETHYST-RUMPED HONEY-
SUCKER (Arachnechthra zeylonica) resembles the previous
bird in nesting-habits and the colour of the eggs, and is
of about the same size, but has a smaller bill and very
different plumage — that is in the case of the cock, the
hens of the two species being much alike in colour. The
cock of this species has a dark-red back and purple head
and rump, the latter being especially brilliant ; the belly
is a beautiful yellow below the purple throat. But
curiously enough these rich colours are only visible when
the bird is close at hand ; at a comparatively small distance
it appears simply black and white, and this is fairly
represented by Fig. 1 of Plate III. The hen is like that
of the last species, but has the throat white, instead of
being all yellow below ; besides which her rather smaller
bill distinguishes her.

The male in this species undergoes no seasonal change
of colour, but when he has once donned his ruby and
amethyst plumage wears it all the year round.

This bird is confined to India and Ceylon, and even
there has a more restricted range than the purple species.
But it is nevertheless a very common bird, and in Calcutta
is very much more numerous than the other. It is more
sociable than this, and commonly goes about in pairs.
It is also a livelier bird, continually flicking up its wings,
and uttering a pretty little note like "chi-chit, chit-te-
wee ;" but the male does not seem to be so good a songster.

tfHE FLOWER-PECKERS. 117

This species has been successfully kept in captivity.
Mr. E. W. Harper sent a pair to the London Zoological
Gardens, and Mr. F. Groser had two lovely full-plumaged
cock birds as perfect as wild ones, which he had successfully
reared from the nest, feeding them at first on small
grasshoppers. But, as I said above, I do not recommend
these birds as pets, and should rather advise my readers to
try and improve acquaintance with them by growing such
plants as bear flowers of which they especially approve, or
even hanging out little vessels of syrup for them. One of the
grudges I bear against Philip Sparrow is that I have seen
him drive away these harmless little things when a pair
actually came to my verandah, the hen picking up bits
of fluff for nesting material ; in the absence of this feathered
hooligan I have no doubt we should see far more of the
numerous more attractive small birds.

THE FLOWER-PECKERS.

These tiny creatures, the smallest birds of the Old
World, to the warm parts of which they are confined, are
little known, though not rare. As they are so very tiny,
smaller even than Waxbills or White-eyes, and keep to
the tops of high trees, where they feed on berries,
insects, etc., it is not easy to make their acquaintance.
Fortunately, however, it is sometimes possible to obtain
specimens of them alive, and they can be kept in captivity.
They always have rather short tails, but their bills
may be either thick or thin and, when looked at under
a hand-lens are found to be saw-edged, as are also those
of the Honey-suckers.

118 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

THE SCARLET-BACKED FLOWER-PECKER (Dicceum cruen
tatum) is represented in Fig. 5 of Plate I. Although
barely larger than a big bee, the male — which is the sex
figured — is a very showy little thing, with his cream-
coloured breast and glossy black upper plumage decorated
by a broad splash of scarlet from crown to tail. The
hen is olive-green with a black tail, and a dash of scarlet
on the back just at the root of it. The young are like her.
The exact range of this minute bird is not known, but it
is not uncommon in the eastern parts of India, and in
Burma, whence it spreads even to South China and Sumatra.
It is common about Calcutta, but I never saw it wild there.
It breeds from March onwards, building a little oval nest
of grass and the down of plants, which is hung from the
tip of a high branch ; the two or three eggs it contains are
pure white.

Occasionally this bird might have been obtained from
the late Mr. W. Kutledge, the only dealer I have known
to have it. When several are in an ordinary cage together,
they seem to be peaceable enough, but I found on buying
two cocks and a hen and turning them out into a large
verandah cage, that the cocks fought like fiends, and soon
both were dead. They appeared not to care for the
company of other little birds, but were not aggressive to
them. Mr. E. W. Harper succeeded in sending this
species to the London Zoological Gardens, and also the
still tinier Tickell's Flower-pecker (Dicceum erythrorJiyn-
chum) a plain drab bird with a flesh-coloured bill ; the
latter was the first bird of this family to reach England
alive. A large cage is more suitable for birds like these

THE PITTAS. 119

than an aviary : they should be fed on soft food and a
paste of hard-boiled yolk of eggs mixed up with honey
and satoo or biscuit-crumbs. The Crimson-backed Flower-
pecker is a remarkably greedy feeder for its size, like
most small birds. The most charming thing about them
is their extreme fearlessness of man ; they will come on
to one's hand without hesitation when hungry, and
altogether are delightful little pets, which I strongly
recommend to anyone who can only keep such birds as
will live in a cage small enough to be carried about. Of
course care must be taken to shield them from cold ; if
this be done they can be taken to England, and will always
be welcome to fanciers there. I am glad to say that the
bird sent by Mr. Harper to the London Zoo lived for
some time there.

THE PITTAS.

Few families of birds are more suited to be aviary
pets than these, although as yet they are little known
in that capacity. They are found, though not abundant
birds, all through the warm parts of the Old World, usually
keeping to jungle though coming into gardens. In size
they are about equal to the smaller Mynahs, but in form
and action more resemble the Thrushes, with which they
used to be classed. Their bills are rather stouter than
an ordinary Thrush's, and their legs longer, while their
tails are absurdly short and hardly noticeable.

They live mostly on the ground, and do not perch
much ; but unlike most ground birds, they never run, but
always hop, though they get along in this manner ver)r

120 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRD&.

swiftly and gracefully. They are fairly good flyers, but
usually keep low down. They seem to feed entirely on
insects and other small animals, and they are not at all
sociable, being usually seen alone. They do not sing,
but their plumage is usually remarkably brilliant and
beautiful, and shows a great variety of patterns. Their
nests are domed and placed either on the ground or near
it, and they lay spotted eggs.

THE BENGAL PITTA (Pitta brachyum). This species,
known to the natives as Nowrung or " nine colours," is
the most familiar of all, being found all over India and
Ceylon in the plains. It is to a certain extent migratory,
going south in the winter, and returning to the northern
provinces in the hot weather and rains, though some birds
appear never to change their quarters.

In colour it is green above and buff below, with the
head broadly streaked with black and drab, the throat
white, and a patch under the tail scarlet. On the shoulder
of the wing, and just above the root of the very short
tail, are patches of intense shining sky-blue, and the
flight feathers of the wings are black with a large white
patch, as in the House-Mynah. The bill is salmon-
coloured and black, and the legs flesh-coloured, the eyes
being dark brown. The cock and hen are alike, and
the young closely resemble them, being merely duller
in colour below, where there is also a slight dark
edging to the feathers. Some of the skins of this species
in the Indian Museum have the back marked with black
streaks in the centre of the feathers, both the green and
blue portions ; one specimen is very perfectly streaked on

THE PITTAS. 121

every feather, and from this there is a gradation to that
of ordinary birds. But I have never seen any of the
living birds brought in for sale marked in this way, and
as the books say nothing about it, it must be rather a
rare variation.

This bird breeds, in the Central Provinces at least, in
July and August, and builds a big round nest of twigs
and leaves. This is either actually on the ground or on
a low branch. The eggs are lustrous white with deep red
and purple spots. The young are sometimes reared from
the nest and brought to Calcutta for sale, but only occa-
sionally.

They get very tame and make most charming pet
birds, but are not suited for cage life in some ways, as
besides not being songsters, they scatter the sand about
so much by their active movements that the vicinity of
the cage is always dirty. If, therefore, they have to be
kept caged, a hay bedding is better than a sanded floor.
It is in an aviary or very large cage, however, that they
really do themselves justice. Their ordinary movements
are very graceful, and their gestures when excited are
most amusing. Sometimes they will stand bolt upright,
at others crouch down ; and in either position they will
often expand their wings, an action which has a most
ludicrously oratorical appearance when they are standing
up. With other birds they seem to be quite harmless,
even with much smaller ones, but they are liable to fight
savagely amongst themselves, so that it must not be
expected that more than a pair will live together perma-
nently ; and there is some risk even in putting cock and

122 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

hen together. Pittas have never been bred in captivity,
so that some interesting discoveries very likely await any
one who will devote himself to the study of their breeding-
habits.

They are not difficult to feed ; ghee-and-safoo paste, with
a little finely-minced raw meat worked up in it, will do very
well as a staple food, and if plenty of maggots are available
the meat may be omitted. But plenty of cockroaches,
grasshoppers, etc., should always be provided, and any
fruit which they may show an inclination for should be
given.

Pittas have been taken to England alive on a few occa-
sions, but are never likely to become common with
amateurs there, and so are always worth taking home.
On account of their active habits and compact shape,
they are easy to keep in good condition even in a small
cage, but they must be kept warm.

CHAPTER VI.

WOODPECKERS, BARBETS, ETC.

THE Pittas bring us to the end of the Passerine birds
and the few species I shall have to deal with now will
belong to quite other groups, which are easily made
out.

THE WOODPECKERS.

These are known to the natives as Kat-tokra, and are
very easily recognizable birds. They have a straight,
tapering, chisel-tipped bill and feet with only two toes in
front and one or two behind ; the outer front toe being
as it were turned back, so that the real hind toe is rather
thrown into the shade, and is often very small, or may
be dispensed with altogether.

The tongue of a Woodpecker is a most curious structure ;
it is long and wormlike, with a horny tip furnished with
numerous barbs, and can be shot out of the mouth for
some distance, the arms of the hyoid or tongue-bone
being long and curved right round over the head under
the scalp, and acting like a pair of springs. In young
birds the barbs at the tip of the tongue are not developed
at first.

Another very characteristic point of the structure of
most Woodpeckers is the tail. This is rather short, with

124 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

very stiff, hard feathers, and is pressed against the bark
to act as a prop when the bird is climbing. For Wood-
peckers do not usually hop about the twigs like most
perching birds, but climb up the trunks and along the
branches ; they never climb downwards, but if they
want to descend let themselves down backwards ; they
are very quick and clever at moving along sideways
and even upside down. Their wings are only moderately
long, and they have a very characteristic flight, dipping
and rising by alternately fluttering and closing then-
wings, although they are usually fair-sized birds ; but
ordinarily they only go from tree to tree. They do not
come to the ground much as a rule, and when there move
by awkward hops.

The eggs of Woodpeckers are always white and are
laid in holes pecked out in trees by the old birds, without
any lining. The young are hatched naked and have a
curious warty pad on the hock-joint, upon which they
shuffle about, not standing up on their toes till they are
fledged. Unlike most young birds, they often show their
sex as soon as they are fledged, resembling the old birds
in the comparatively small differences which distinguish
the sexes of these. Woodpeckers are often gaily-coloured
birds, but they do not sing, and generally have very harsh
notes. They are very striking and ornamental, however,
and particularly useful birds, as they feed almost entirely
on insects, which they dig out of decaying wood or extract
from under bark with their strong bills and long barbed
tongues. Thus they keep in check a class of insects which
are left alone by other birds, and, although they do not

THE WOODPECKERS. 125

go in flocks, being usually solitary, must do a great deal
of good.

They are found almost everywhere, usually as resi-
dents, but are absent from Australia, New Zealand, and
the Pacific region generally ; it is to be hoped that some
day measures will be taken for introducing them there
also, where they would be of the greatest service. They
can be kept in confinement, but are not often to be seen
in that condition ; and one at least of them is a familiar
garden bird in many parts of India.

THE GOLDEN-BACKED WOODPECKER (Brachypternus
aurantius) is about as large in the body as the House-
Mynah, but is a longer-shaped bird, measuring about a
foot in length. It is very handsomely coloured, the back
being of an old-gold hue, while the face, neck, and under-
parts are marked with black and white, and a flaming
scarlet crest adorns the back of the head ; the pinion-
quills are black with white spots, and the tail all black.
The hen only differs from the cock in having the forehead
black with white spots ; the red on the male's head extends
right up to the root of the beak. Most young hens have
a plain black forehead, but some have it spotted. Young
birds have a yellow tinge on the white portions below.
The inner hind toe in this species is a mere rudiment, and
not noticeable till looked for.

This Woodpecker is found all over India and Ceylon
in the plains, but not in the countries east of Bengal and
Cachar, where it is replaced by a very similar species
with no hind toe at all (Tiga javanensis). It is paler in
colour in Sind, and becomes dajker in Southern India

126 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

and Ceylon ; a good many specimens show a tinge of
red on the yellow back. It is very commonly seen about
gardens, and still more often heard, its excruciatingly
harsh cackle being given off frequently, and always,
apparently, when it takes wing. It is not a very shy
bird, and can be easily watched. In Northern India it
breeds twice a year, in March and April, and again in
June and July ; in Ceylon the season is February to June.
Young birds of this species may often be found in the
Calcutta Market, and are well worth rearing as pets, as
they are not difficult to bring up, and become very tame.
One I had used to climb all over me, exploring with its
tongue, and tapping with its bill on the top of my head.
Such a bird could with care be allowed its liberty, as was
done with this.

In an aviary, this Woodpecker thrives well, and may
be kept even with smaller birds ; but it should not be
confined too closely with these, or even with its own
species. Woodpeckers need good feeding in captivity ;
satoo worked up with minced raw meat or hardboiled egg,
and such insects as can be procured, will do well for them,
and they can be easily reared on such food. They will
eat plantain readily and should have some of this or any
other fruit they care to take. The gold-backed Wood-
pecker has very seldom been taken to Europe, and so is
always worth its carriage home.

THE BARBETS.

The birds of this family resemble Woodpeckers in many
points, and are often spoken of as such by Europeans

THE BARBETS. 127

in India, but though they might well be placed in the
same " order," they may fairly claim a family difference.
The figure (Fig. 1) in Plate I of the Coppersmith will give
a good idea of their general form, although most have a
rather longer bill and tail than that bird. The beak has a
straggly moustache of bristles at the root, and is much
stouter than a Woodpecker's ; it is not used for pecking
into wood, except when the birds are boring a nest-hole.
The tongue is of ordinary shape, and the tail is not stiff,
but of ordinary feathers. The feet have two toes before
and two behind, but the birds do not climb like Wood-
peckers, but simply hop from branch to branch, picking
the fruit on which they feed, for their diet is almost
altogether vegetarian. They hop like Woodpeckers when
on the ground, though I never saw a Barbet there in the
wild state ; their flight also much resembles that of a
Woodpecker, and they lay white eggs in a hewn-out
nest-hole also. Moreover, the young show the same
warty pad on the hocks as young Woodpeckers, and
move in the same way. They are often less like the
old ones when fledged than young Woodpeckers are,
but are quite recognizable. Barbets run to very brilliant
and barbaric colouring as a rule and the hens are generally
coloured like the cocks. As a lively green is commonly
the predominating colour in their costume, they are
not easy to see in the trees, but they take good care to be
heard pretty constantly. Their notes are not harsh and
explosive like those of the Woodpeckers ; rather mellow
indeed, but of a deadly monotony, being kept up with
relentless regularity for a long time,

128 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

They begin practising even as nestlings, and are
certainly untiring songsters according to their lights. In
disposition they are gloomy and unsociable, but not
ferocious ; that is, they are hard biters, but do not go out
of their way for a fight. Barbets are found all round the
world in most warm climates, but not in the Australian
region. The huge-billed Toucans of America are closely
related to the Barbets, but are not found in India, the
birds often so called there being Hornbills, which are
a distinct family altogether, confined to the Old
World.

In confinement Barbets live very well, and are orna-
mental in an aviary ; if reared from the nest they become
very tame, and they are easy to manage, as they can be
fed on fruit from the first, and so give less trouble than
most young birds. They are gross feeders, and eat a
great deal of food, so that the more fruit they get, the
better, as fruit is not so fattening as satoo or sop. They
must not as a rule be shut up closely together, as they
will fight to the death in such a case, and it is as well
not to have more than a pair of each kind even in an
aviary.

THE COPPERSMITH OR CRIMSON-BREASTED BARBET
(Xantholcema hcematocephala) called Tamkayat in Hindu-
stani, and Chota bussunt in Bengal, is a very well-known
garden bird all over the Empire, but does not go any
distance up the hills. Outside our limits it ranges east
as far as the Philippines, so that, although it is one of the
smallest of our Barbets, it extends over a very wide terri-
tory. Common as it is in Calcutta, where one may see

THE BARBETS. 129

it even in the trees lining the streets, it is not very well
known by sight, as it is not easy to discover at first ; its
green plumage blending with the foliage, while the yellow
of its face, and the bright red of its forehead, gorget, and
feet are not nearly so noticeable as might be expected.
Young birds are still less striking in appearance in a tree,
as they have no red on the head or breast, and their feet
are merely flesh-colour. Light varieties of the Copper-
smith are sometimes seen ; there was one in the Calcutta
Zoological Garden when I left India in 1902 which was
yellow splashed with green, and with the usual red
markings, but with the bill flesh-coloured instead of
black.

What makes the Coppersmith so well known is his
voice, which is a single note exactly resembling the tap
of a hammer on metal, and given out very persistently
all through the warm months of the year ; in the cold
weather he is generally silent. I say "he," but both
sexes call, and even the young begin, in voices of infantile
squeakiness, before they are fledged. In Northern India
the Coppersmith breeds from March to June, beginning
earlier further south, and continuing in Ceylon all through
the first half of the year. The young ones are very pretty
little things, easily reared and kept if a satoo-diet be
avoided, though bread-and-milk sop suits them well
enough ; plantains of course should always be supplied,
and I have always reared them on these. Old birds can
also be got to feed and live in confinement if plantain be
given, but there is not much point in keeping these, or
indeed any of this common species, unless one is going
B, GAB 9

130 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

home. Then it would be worth while to take a few, as
Coppersmiths are decided rarities in England.

THE BLUE-THROATED BARBET (Cyanops asiatica), called
Buna bussunt in Bengal, is a much larger bird than
the Coppersmith, being about the size of a House-Mynah,
but more stoutly built : it has a longer bill and tail than
the small Barbet.

It is a very showy bird, being bright green almost all
over, with a sky-blue face and throat and a scarlet cap
crossed by a black band ; at each side of the neck is also
a scarlet spot. The bill is pale yellow with a black streak
along the ridge. The young birds are more like the old
ones than is the case with the Coppersmith, but their
head colouring is so dingy that their youth is perceptible
at a glance. This Barbet is found on the lower slopes
of the Himalayas, and in Bengal, Assam, and Burma.
In Calcutta it is common, though less so than the Copper-
smith, and, like Barbets generally, much more heard
than seen. It has a rolling triple call, like " kuturuk "
and is as noisy in its way as the Coppersmith though less
noticeable.

It is the easiest Barbet to keep in confinement, as it
can be tamed at any age and will live on satoo ; more-
over, several birds can be placed in the same cage with
impunity. Accordingly, the Blue-faced Barbet is often
to be found in the dealers' cages in Calcutta, and a good
many are sent to England, and turn up not unfrequently
at bird-shows. In a mixed aviary of the larger birds this
Barbet is always worth keeping where it is not naturally
found and is generally much admired for its fine colours,

THE ROLLERS. 131

THE ROLLERS.

The Rollers form a small family of insectivorous birds of
rather large size, found in the warm and temperate regions
of the Old World. They are nearly as big as the House-
Crow, and have strong crow-like bills, large wings, and
tail of moderate length. Their legs are short, scaled
behind as well as in front, and the toes are three before
and one behind, the hinder toe being the smallest, and
the outer front toe as long as the middle one. I go into
these details, because the Rollers, being of about the
same size and having much blue in their plumage, are
often called Jays, especially in India. The Jay's foot,
however, is very different from a Roller's both in the
scaling and the proportions of the toes, resembling in
these points a Crow's as described in Chapter II. The
Rollers differ much in their habits from the active and
skulking Jays ; they sit about most of the time, swoop-
ing down occasionally for their food from their conspi-
cuous perch ; they do not eat vegetable food and they
build in holes, laying white eggs quite unlike those of any
of the Crow tribe. As a matter of fact, they are nearly
related to the Kingfishers. The cock and hen are always
alike, and the young much resemble them.

THE INDIAN ROLLER OR BLUE- JAY (Coracias indica),
is called Nilkant by the natives, and is sacred to Siva.
Most people know this magnificent bird by sight. About
the size of a pigeon, its slow, lazy flight makes the pale-
blue and purple bands of its wings and tail conspicuous ;
though when it is on the ground or a perch, the drab,
sea-green, and dull pink of its body-colour render it a

132 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

quite unobtrusive object. Our American winter- visitors
have neatly expressed the contrast in the flying and
sitting Blue- Jay by calling it the " surprise-bird "; but
this name would even better fit the Paddy-bird or Pond-
Heron (Ardeola grayi) which is hard to see at all in repose
and pure white when it flies. This Roller is found almost
all over India and Ceylon in the plains, and extends
westwards along the Persian Gulf, and even occasionally
as far as Asia Minor. It likes open country, and always
chooses a perch which gives it a good outlook, very often
a telegraph wire, where it remains quite comfortably
even in the broiling sun of mid-day. It may sometimes
be seen sitting on the ground, or even hopping a few steps,
but as a rule it only comes down to pick up something
to eat. It is very active on the wing when it likes, in
spite of the apparent listlessness of its ordinary flight.
Its note is a single croak, varied occasionally by a cackling
laugh.

It breeds at various times, according to locality, during
the first half of the year, and will often use a hole in a
building. Some birds line the nest with grass or rags,
etc., but others eschew bedding altogether. The young
birds look very pretty when covered with feathers, and
can be easily reared on bits of raw meat, cockroaches, etc.,
but I cannot recommend them as interesting pets, as
they are not musical and very sluggish in their habits.
If a bird were trained to fly freely about the garden it
would be a nice pet, but the Blue-Jay must have room
and reason to show its wings if he is to be admired. Old
birds can be got to feed in captivity by putting them

THE ROLLERS. 133

in a moderate-sized cage and giving them live insects at
first ; when the birds are taking meat regularly it is as
well to mix it up with some satoo or boiled rice to render
it less heating. The Holler does well as an aviary bird
and is quiet with others, unless they are small enough
to swallow, when he is by no means to be trusted — and
his swallowing powers are much greater than would
appear at first sight. Rollers are very seldom to be
had in. England, so that a good healthy specimen is always
worth taking home. This is another of the birds which
ought to be spread by acclimatization, as it is a charming
landscape ornament and very useful in destroying large
insects.

THE BURMESE ROLLER (Coracias affinis). This species
is included under the same name of " Blue- Jay " as the
last, but it is distinct from the Indian bird, though
the difference is not very great, consisting in slightly
larger size and decidedly darker colour. The body-colour
of the Burmese bird is darker brown than that of its
Indian relation, thus showing up the sea-green cap better ;
but there is no purple band at the tip of the tail, which is
all light blue except at the root ; the most striking differ-
ence, however, is in the lining of the wings, which is pale
blue in the Indian Roller, and purple in the present bird.

The young in this species are noticeably different from
their parents, being much lighter in colour ; the absence
of the purple tip to the tail, however, is always charac-
teristic.

This Roller, which has the same habits as the last, is
the common one of Burma, and extends east to Siain

134 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

and Cochin China ; it extends westwards into Assam,
Cachar, Sylhet and Tipperah, and even as far as Calcutta,
but from that place eastwards for a considerable distance
the birds are of mixed blood, for the two species interbreed
freely, in spite of the theories of those naturalists who
maintain that the distinctive markings of closely related
birds like this serve the purpose of preventing mesalliances.
Similar cases are those of the Goldfinches and Swallows,
which I have already mentioned, but no acquaintance
with such facts hampers the average Zoological theorist !

THE BEE-EATERS.

Bee-eaters are birds of rather small size, with long
curved bills and very small feet ; there are three toes in
front joined together in a common skin, and one behind.
The wings are powerful, and the birds live on insects
captured in flight. The plumage is always very pretty ;
the cock and hen are alike in colour, and the young
closely resemble them. The Bee-eaters lay white eggs
in a burrow which they dig out themselves, many pairs
breeding in company.

They are found in warm and temperate climates
in the Old World, and several kinds are to be seen in
India. Of these one is among the commonest birds in
the country.

THE GREEN BEE-EATER (Merops viridis). This bird,
commonly called a Flycatcher by Europeans and known
in Hindustani as Patringa, and in Bengali as Banspati,
is conspicuous everywhere by its beautiful green plum-
mage and habit of sitting motionless on a perch and

THE KINGFISHERS. 135

flying out every now and then after some passing
insect.

The figure (Fig. 2) on plate IV will give a good idea of
its form. In colour it varies somewhat ; it is found
almost all over India, Ceylon and Burma, though it does not
ascend the hills ; and specimens from the eastern por-
tions of its range are more or less bronzed on the head, while
in the north-west of India the throat is often blue.
Out of India it is found as far as North-East Africa on the
west, and Cochin China on the east.

It breeds from March till June, making the usual
burrow. It is a lively cheerful little bird, with a pretty
chirping note and very graceful flight. It is so active
on the wing that it may be seen to take its bath by plung-
ing like a swallow ; it is also fond of dusting itself,
and several will settle on a road together to indulge in
a scuffle among the sand. It could probably be kept in
confinement, but is far better left to enjoy its liberty.

THE KINGFISHERS.

Kingfishers are found all over the world, and very
considerably in size ; but they are always easily recog-
nizable, having very large heads, with a long straight stout
bill ; their tongues are, on the other hand, very small,
their feet are small, with three united toes in front, and
one behind, as in the Bee-eaters.

Like those birds, they burrow out a nest in a bank and
lay white eggs ; but they are not in the least sociable
and it is only in the breeding-season that one sees even
a pair together. Their plumage is usually very showy,

136 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

the cock and hen being nearly or quite alike ; the young
also have nearly the same plumage from the first.
They are hatched naked, and when fledging are most
curious little objects, covered with spine-like pin-feathers,
and with a remarkable power of running backwards,
which must be useful to them in their underground
tunnel at home. A Kingfisher's nest is always in a
very filthy state, and there is no bedding except the
fish bones, etc., cast up in quids after the flesh has been
digested by the birds.

Young Kingfishers are easily reared on fish, and
may be trained to eat raw meat ; but these birds cannot
be called desirable pets and are better left at large.
The beautiful little Kingfisher of Europe (Alcedo ispida)
is very common in India, as also is the pretty black-
and-white Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle varia) ; but only
one of the family can be called a garden-bird. King-
fishers generally are called Kilkila in Hindustani, and
Machranga in Bengali.

THE WHITE-BREASTED KINGFISHER (Halcyon smyrnensis)
is a very showy bird about as big as a House-Mynah,
with a very big head and bill and fairly long tail.
Its plumage is a most brilliant blue above and rich
bay on the head and below, but the throat and
breast are pure white, and there is a pure white patch
on the pinion-quills. The bill and feet are scarlet, so
that the whole effect is very brilliant indeed. The
cock and hen are exactly alike, but young birds have the bill
and feet nearly black, and some dark fringes on the
white breast.

PLATE VI.

f

One-Juilf Natural Si:.c.

1.— RED-CRESTED CARDINAL (Grey and white, scarlet head). 2.— BUDGERIGAR (Black and yellow
above, green below). 3.— JAVA SPARROW (Blue-grey, black and white head, pink bill).
4,— GOLDFINCH (Brown, scarlet face, black and yellow wings).

THE KINGFISHERS. 137

This Kingfisher is found all over India, Burma, and
Ceylon, but does not, as a rule, ascend the hills to any
height. Outside India it extends from Cyprus to Cochin
China and in our limits it is a very common bird, found
often in gardens and other places away from water, for it-
feeds on many other small creatures besides fish, including
earthworms, insects, frogs, and even small birds. It has
a slow undulating flight, and when it makes a swoop on a
fish comes down in a very half-hearted way, unlike the
determined plunge of the regular professional Kingfisher.
When taking its tub, however, it will plunge with the
best of them. I long knew a bird of this kind which
haunted the tank in the Indian Museum grounds, and
I regret to say I have known it guilty of piracy, as it
took to robbing the dabchicks of the fish they caught.

This shows the bird objects chiefly to the trouble of
catching fish, and he could probably be tamed by
throwing out a few live ones for him on the grass.
This would be a better way of establishing relations with
such a bird than caging it. although, unlike most
Kingfishers, it bears confinement very well. My friend,
Mr. E. W. Harper, had one for a long time in a ca^e, and
it was in the most beautiful condition, but he is an
exceptionally keen fancier, and spared no trouble.

The Kingfisher shows the manner of the origin of
species very interestingly. In the Andamans, where it
is very common, it is noticeably darker than in India,
but similar specimens, chocolate instead of bay, now and
then turn up on the mainland. Thus it would seem
that the Andamans were originally stocked with a dark

138 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

strain or that the conditions of life there are easier for
dark birds. It only needs the disappearance of the dark
complexion among Indian specimens to establish the
Andaman Kingfisher as a species, whereas now it has
to rank as a variety only.

The White-breasted Kingfisher breeds from March to
July and differs from other Kingfishers in occasionally
making a rough nest of moss. But the birds that do this
must be constructive geniuses of an uncommon kind
for the ordinary squalid burrow is good enough for most
of them. When courting they lift up their tails and
droop their wings, showing off the white patch. At this
time too they fly wildly about, uttering a peculiar
wailing cry, whereas in the ordinary way their flight is
direct, and announced in a most business-like way by an
abominably harsh cackle ; for this Kingfisher seems to
think that his movements are of importance in local
feathered society and . always gives due warning when
he is making a change of quarters.

THE HOOPOES.

The Hoopoes are a small family of birds widely distri-
buted over the Old World. They are all very much
alike, having pale brown plumage with the wings and
tail black-and-white, and their long thin bill and fan-
like crest will always distinguish them from other birds,
especially as the plumage does not differ with age and
sex. The crest is ordinarily kept folded down and then
looks merely pointed, but when the bird is angry or
afraid or courting, or has just alighted, it is fully expanded

THE HOOPOES. 139

and looks very pretty indeed. The wings are large and
broad, and the flight is lazy and undulating, so that the
bird looks like a big butterfly on the wing, but it is really
a very strong and enduring flier. The legs are short,
and the toes three before and one behind ; the birds
walk well and spend most of their time on the ground,
pegging into it with their bills in search of the insects,
etc., on which they feed.

They nest in holes, laying spotless eggs of a bluish or
greenish-white and the hen sits very close, hardly ever
coming off the nest. The said nest smells most vilely,
the smell being either due to the extremely unsanitary
state in which the interior is found, or to an exhalation
from the birds themselves — " dirty as a Hoopoe " is a
French proverb. With this exception, the Hoopoes are
altogether charming birds ; when not molested they are
quite familiar, and come freely into gardens, where they
are ornamental as well as useful. They are not sociable,
going singly as a rule, but where they are found com-
monly they are quite a feature in the local bird-life,
and are well-known to the natives under the name of
Hudhud. They do not sing, but have a pretty double call
like " hoop-hoop " ; they also make a " swearing " noise
when angry or frightened.

Hoopoes can be kept in confinement if reared from
the nest but are not very easy birds to keep. Hand-reared
birds have been known to become so tamed that they
could be allowed full liberty, and in any case if confined
it should be in an aviary, not in a cage. They do not
care to bathe but roll themselves in sand like Larks or

140 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

Partridges, and they should always be given something,
such as earth or turf, to dig their bills into. Two of the
few species of Hoopoes known are found in India, and
both are common birds, and probably not distinguished
from each other by the casual observer.

THE EUROPEAN HOOPOE (Upupa epops). This bird is
about a foot long, of which the bill measures more than
two inches. The wings and back are banded broadly
with black and white ; the tail is black with a white
crescent of which the convexity is towards the root ; the
belly is white with dark streaks and the rest of the
plumage sandy buff, warming into cinnamon on the crest,
which is tipped with black ; but on the longest feathers
there is a white space before the black tip.

This bird is found in summer all across the temperate
parts of the Old World, migrating south in winter, at
which time it is found in and about Calcutta. It only
breeds with us in the Western Himalayas, in the months
of April and May, laying from four to seven eggs. This
is the Hoopoe par excellence, the subject of so many
legends ; for it has always attracted the attention of man
from its curious appearance and gestures. The Komans
knew it as Upupa, and the Greeks as Epops, so that its
scientific name is most happily classical — a pleasing relief
to the barbarisms of most scientific nomenclature. It
visits England yearly, and has been known to breed
there when allowed to live long enough, which is not often,
as it is usually shot down on sight. It is a pity that
some wealthy naturalist does not import a few dozen
from the continent, and turn them loose, a proceeding

THE HOOPOES. 141

which would have the effect of completely upsetting
the value so absurdly placed on " genuine British-killed
specimens," as then no one would know whether any
Hoopoe appearing in England had got there naturally
or not, and so the makers of the pettifogging " local
records " would be quite at a loss.

THE INDIAN HOOPOE (Upupa nigripennis). This very
closely resembles the European bird, but differs in being
of a warm cinnamon where the other is buif ; this colour
also extends further, there being no white band before
the black tip of the crest, and the reddish hue running-
further down the belly. Moreover, the wing is propor-
tionately shorter in this species, and the bill often
longer.

This Hoopoe is a resident bird, and is found nearly all
over India, Burma, and Ceylon, except Sind and the West-
ern Punjab ; eastwards it extends to Hainan. It is not
found in the vicinity of Calcutta, where Hoopoes are
never common ; but all those I have seen there, whether
at large or brought into the New Market, have belonged
to the last species. The habits of the Indian Hoopoe
are the same as those of the western bird ; in India it
may be found breeding from February to May, and in
Ceylon from December to April. As some Indian speci-
mens show a tinge of white on the crest, it is suspected
that the two species interbreed, and this is extremely
likely to be the case.

Before leaving the subject of Hoopoes, it may be as well
to mention a legend about these birds which I found was
known even to the natives in Calcutta ; Charles Kingsley

142 HARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

has familiarized English readers with it in " Westward
Ho ! It seems that the Hoopoes had rendered a signal
service to King Solomon, who thereupon offered them a
reward. This they very foolishly chose to have in the
form of golden crowns ; but, on finding they were perse-
cuted to the death for their unlucky jewelry, they came
to the king to ask him to take back his gift. He saved
his royal word by leaving them the crown, but changing
it to one of feathers, which they have worn happily every-
where but in England, where the " enthusiastic local
naturalist " cares -not a jot for King Solomon ! The
Hoopoe was forbidden to the Jews as food, the word
translated " Lapwing " in the Bible really meaning the
Hoopoe ; and when the ill-flavoured nest of the bird, and
the dirty surroundings among which it often seeks its
food are taken into consideration, the prohibition does
not seem unreasonable.

THE SWIFTS.

These birds are usually confounded with Swallows both
by Europeans and natives, and as they resemble them in
form, and in their habits of seeking their insect food
on the wing and resorting to buildings for nesting purposes,
the error is natural. But examination of the anatomy
of the birds has shown that while the Swallows are not to
be separated from the ordinary Passerine birds, the Swifts
present so many differences that they cannot be classed
in that order at all.

Externally, Swifts may be distinguished from Swallows
by the fact that they have only ten tail feathers instead of

THE SWIFTS.

143

the usual twelve, and in the case of the commonest species
by the fact that the first toe is not directed backwards
as in the Swallows ; all the four toes spreading out like
the fingers of the hand, or falling into right and left pairs.

As far as their habits are concerned, Swifts differ from
Swallows, in most cases, by never settling on the ground
or trees, etc. They do not perch or walk, but can cling or
climb well enough, their claws being very strong and sharp.
Their nests are built of various materials, stuck together
by the abundant and viscid saliva of the birds, and the
" edible bird's nests," so dear to the Chinese in more senses
than one, are made by a small Swift (Collocalia francica)
found in some localities on our coasts among other places,
which uses nothing but the saliva in the construction,
this drying into a substance like isinglass. The eggs of
all Swifts are long and white.

Young Swifts are hatched naked, and fledge of! into a
plumage much like that of their parents. These seldom
differ in plumage according to sex, nor has the male
any sing. They are not particularly interesting as birds
go, but two are so common that they deserve notice
here.

THE HOUSE-SWIFT (Cypselus affinis) is well over five
inches long, and has a short square-ended tail ; its plum-
age is sooty-black with a conspicuous white patch on the
back and the throat also white. Young birds are almost
exactly like the old ones.

This bird is found almost all over Africa and India, but
east of the latter country is replaced by a blacker species
with the tail rather longer and slightly forked (Cypselus

144 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

subfurcatus). It is sociable in habits, and builds in num-
bers in houses, making nests of any sort of light rubbish
it can pick up on the wing, such as feathers, straw, etc.
The materials are stuck together with saliva, and the nest
varies in shape, and may be either in a hole or stuck to
the roof.

Three eggs are usually laid, and two broods brought
off in a year, the breeding season lasting from February
to August, and the birds resorting constantly to the same
nest, which they also use for sleeping and resting, never
perching outside. It has been said that these birds can-
not rise from the ground, but this is a mistake ; at least,
in several experiments. I found only one uninjured bird
that could not ; birds that are obviously hurt are fre-
quently found, for this Swift is constantly getting into
difficulties by entering places whence it cannot readily
escape ; it seems to be a very stupid bird.

It has a clear shrill squeal, most frequently uttered
before roosting time, when flocks of them career round
and round before going to bed. It is not a migrator}7
species, and in places where it is common, as at Calcutta,
is one of the most conspicuous birds at all times. I doubt
if it is advisable to encourage these birds where swallows
can be got to build, as they are not nearly so attractive as
the latter, and are apt to drive them away in order to take
their nests. But in default of the real Swallows, Swifts
are better than nothing.

THE PALM-SWIFT (Tachornis batassiensis) is only a
little less in length than the House-Swift, but is really a
much smaller bird, being more slender, with a fairly long

THE SWIFTS. 145

and well forked tail ; in colour it is drab, without any
conspicuous markings.

It is found over a large part of India and in Ceylon,
wherever the fan- or toddy-palm grows ; it attaches its
nest to the underside of the fronds of this tree, and does
not stray far from it ; for a Swift it is not at all a rapid
flyer.

The nest is a small pocket, lodged in a furrow of the
leaf, and made of vegetable fluff or small feathers stuck
together with saliva. The bird occasionally makes use
of the betel-nut palm, and is believed to breed twice in the
year. In Northern India the times for breeding are
March and July, but in Ceylon from October to April.
Like the House-Swift, the Palm-Swift usually lays three
eggs. East of India, throughout Burma to Java, is found
another species of Palm-Swift (Tachornis infumatus)
which is much darker, nearly black above, in fact. It has
the same habits as the Indian bird, but in the Naga and
Garo Hills frequents native huts, these being thatched
with palm-leaves, to which the bird attaches its nest just
as if they were on the tree.

THE NIGHTJARS.

These birds, often called Goatsuckers from an absurd
superstition which was current even among the ancient
Greeks and Romans, are easily distinguished from any
others. They are birds of fair apparent size, but really
very small and light in body, with large flat heads, long
wings, and fairly long tails. Their beaks are very small
indeed, and their mouths enormous, often with a row of
J1, GAB 10

146 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

strong bristles along each side. Their feet are small,
with three toes in front and a small hind-toe. The front
toes are joined at the root by a small web, as in a fowl,
the middle toe is furnished with a claw toothed like a
comb on the inner side. The plumage is very soft, and
beautifully stippled and mottled with various shades of
brown and grey, so as to look like bark or earth ; there
is little or no difference between male and female ; where
there exists any, the young resemble the hen in their first
plumage. They are covered with mottled down, and are
soon able to run ; but they do not feed themselves, being
fed by the parents from the bill like the naked helpless
young of many other birds. There is no nest at all, the
eggs being simply laid on the bare ground ; they are
mottled so as to look like pebbles, and so escape obser-
vation.

The Nightjars feed entirely on insects, mostly caught
on the wing, and are among the most useful of birds.
Their flight is very light and graceful, and at night,
the time of their activity, they are almost always on the
wing.

By day they rest either on the ground or on a thick
branch, on which they sit lengthways, not crosswise like
other birds. Nightjars are found almost all over the
world in warm and temperate regions, but are more often
heard than seen, their notes being very peculiar and re-
markable. They are commonly known in Hindi as Chip-
puk, Chappa, Dab-churi or Dabhak.

THE COMMON INDIAN NIGHTJAR (Caprimulgus asia-
ticus). This bird is a little over nine inches long, and of a

THE CUCKOOS. 147

yellowish-grey colour above, splashed with black on the
crown, and with fine black streaks on the back. There is
a broken buff collar, and black and buff markings on the
shoulders. Below the plumage is buff with indistinct
brown bars, and a white spot on the throat. There are
also white spots on the first four pinion-quills, and the
outer two pairs of tail-feathers are tipped with white.

The shanks are completely bare to the hock, whereas
in most of our Nightjars they are more or less feathered.
The large eyes are dark, as is usually the case with these
birds.

This Nightjar inhabits India, Ceylon, and Burma as
far south as Moulmein, but it avoids high hills and large
forests, keeping to the plains in cultivation and low jungle
and even entering gardens. It is often known as the Ice-
bird, from its note, which resembles the sound made by a
stone flung upon ice and rebounding from it.

Its two eggs may be found, according to locality, at
any time between April and September ; they are about
an inch long, faintly spotted with brown and purple on
a pinkish-stone or salmon-coloured ground.

THE CUCKOOS.

Cuckoos are found all over the world, but are not
numerous in species except in warm regions. They have
slightly curved bills of moderate size, with conspicuous
nostrils set low down and near the edge of the upper chap,
and their toes are in two pairs, the outer front toe being
turned backwards, as in Woodpeckers and Bar bets.
Tree-Cuckoos, which, in the East at all events, lay their

148 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

eggs in the nests of other birds, have long wings and short
legs, while Bush-Cuckoos, which always bring up their
own young, have short wings and long legs suited for run-
ning ; the Tree-Cuckoos on the rare occasions when they
come to the ground, being only able to hop. Cuckoos
usually have long rounded tails, and are very readily re-
cognizable when a few have been seen.

The male and female are usually alike in plumage, but
the young, which are hatched naked, are very different
in first feather. Cuckoos have peculiar notes, and are
generally more heard than seen. They generally feed on
insects, and are exceedingly useful birds. Only in India
are any Cuckoos commonly kept as cage-birds, the calls
of our commonest species being much admired by the
natives. They are not hard to rear, but require hand-
feeding for a longer time than other birds.

THE KOEL (Eudynamis honorata). This species, called
KoJcil in Bengali, is the commonest and most familiar of
Indian Cuckoos ; it is found all over India, Ceylon, and
Burma, but does not ascend the hills above the warm
zone. It is a familiar object wherever there are trees
even in towns, and extends even to such outlying spots as
the Laccadives ; while its range to the Eastwards extends
to Flores.

It is about as big as a large pigeon, with a long round-
ed tail ; its whole length being nearly a foot and a half.
It has a peculiar steady level flight, which makes it
easily recognizable. The cock and hen differ absolutely
in colour, the former being a glossy blue-black, while the
latter is brown, spotted with white on the head and back,

THE CUCKOOS. 149

and barred with, that colour on the wings, tail, and under-
parts ; altogether she rather reminds one of a hen pheas-
ant in colour. Both male and female have pale green
bills, bright red eyes and lead-coloured feet.

Young birds have black bills and grey eyes ; in plumage
they resemble adults of the corresponding sex, but not
completely, young cocks being usually slightly marked
with buff, and young hens having the head and top of the
neck black. But there appears to be some variation,
so that young cocks may be found in female plumage
and vice versa.

Unlike most Cuckoos the Koel feeds on fruit entirely
or almost so ; and under the circumstances is probably
rather an undesirable bird in a garden. It is, however,
much beloved by natives, who admire its fine mellow call,
and it is with them quite a bird of romance, the locks of
beauty being compared to its glossy plumage. It deserves
a certain amount of consideration from everyone, not
only on account of its beauty and musical capacities, but
for being one of the very few creatures which scores off
the Crows, those birds being the foster-parents which it
selects for its young. The House-Crow is the usual victim,
and the egg of the Koel is a miniature of a Crow's egg,
being about an inch long, and green with brown spots.

Sometimes two Koels' eggs may be found in one Crow's
nest, and at times the big black Jungle-Crow has to do
parental duty for the Koel. The most curious thing about
the whole business is that the Crows, although they bring
up the young Koel and feed it even after it has left the
nest, yet evidently know there is something wrong, for

150 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

they cherish a lively prejudice against the old Koels,
and hunt any Koel they can to death if they get the
chance.

The Koels breed from March to July, and at this time
the call whence is derived its Hindustani name "ko-eel
ko-eel," running up the scale, is one of the character-
istic sounds of the country. Unfortunately the bird
insists on calling at night as well as by day, and is rather
apt at all times to be " instant out of season ;" whence
many Europeans call him the Brain-fever Bird, and detest
him accordingly. The male, which has another call of
his own, like "ho-e-o," is a favourite native pet, and
seems to thrive well on satoo ; like all Cuckoos, however,
he is restless in a cage, and apt in this way to break and
damage his plumage, though not so much as other species.
In an aviary of the larger birds, a pair of Koels make a
nice addition, but are hardly worth keeping in most places,
as they are so common outside.

TEH HAWK-CUCKOO OR " BRAIN-FEVER BIRD " (Hiero-
coccyx varius), called Popiya by the natives, is a smaller
bird, not much over a foot long, with much weaker bill
and shorter legs than the Koel. The cock and hen are
alike, blue-grey above, with tail barred with buff-edged
dark bands, and below white on the throat and belly,
and cinnamon on the breast, which is barred below. The
eyes are bright yellow, the legs yellow, and the bill black
above and greenish below.

The young bird is quite differently coloured, being
brown above, barred with buff, and white with brown
spots below ; the eyes are grey at this stage.

THE CUCKOOS. 15l

In both stages the bird bears a most astounding resem-
blance in colour to the Shikra or common Sparrow-Hawk
of India (Astur badius) in its corresponding plumages ;
and as the flight is also exactly like the Hawk's , it is diffi-
cult to tell the two birds apart unless one is near enough
to see the difference in the beak. This, no doubt, is one
reason why the Brain-fever Bird is so much better known
by name than by sight.

It is really a very common bird, found over most of
India and Ceylon, and ascending the hills up to seven
thousand feet. But it is not found in Sind or the Punjab
and doubtfully in Assam and Burma. In Ceylon it is
stated to be a migrant, arriving in November. Its note,
so much disliked by Europeans, though natives like it, is
variously rendered as " brain-fever, brain-fever, etc.,"
running up the scale, or as " 0 lor', 0 lor', how very hot
it's getting ; I feel it, I feel it, etc." I prefer the last ren-
dering, as it gives the preliminary notes by which the bird
gets his pitch, as it were ; moreover, the sentiment is
appropriate, as the bird is specially noisy from April to
June, its breeding season, when it calls even by night.
Unfortunately, the bird's efforts at this season, when
even the Nightingale would be a burden, are not appre-
ciated, and would get a charge of shot as buckshot if
the singer could be located — which he generally cannot.
Those who are prejudiced against Brain-fever Birds should
search the nests of the Satbhai or their relatives, for it is
to these Babblers that the Hawk-Cuckoo entrusts her egg.
As in the case of the Koel, the parasitic egg is like the legi-
timate one, being of course blue in this case.

152 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

The Hawk-Cuckoo feeds both on fruit and insects, and
is frequently in Bengal, at any rate, reared as a cage-bird,
but it always knocks itself about to the utter ruin of its
plumage, and cannot be called a desirable pet. It should
be fed on satoo, fruit and insects, and kept away from
other birds, as these have the greatest dislike to it on
account of its suspicious appearance.

THE COUCAL OR CROW-PHEASANT (Centropus sinensis).
This is a very different bird from the parasitic Cuckoos
above dealt with, and lives a most irreproachable life as
far as attending to its parental duties is concerned. It
is a big bird, over a foot and a half long, with a powerful
bill and rather long legs, the inner hind toe being furnished
with a long straight claw like a Lark's, whence the term
" Lark-heeled " often applied to Cuckoos of this type.
Its wings are short and round, and its tail very long ; the
plumage is harsh and wiry, and the bird's general appear-
ance quite justifies the name popularly given to it. It is
known in Hindustani as Mahoka.

Cock and hen are alike in colour, being glossy blue-
black with bright chestnut wings, black bills and feet, and
bright red eyes. The young in first plumage have giey
eyes, but vary a great deal in colour, some being dull
editions of the parents, and others quite different. In
these latter, the black parts of the plumage are closely
barred with white and the wings barred with black.
Such birds are always bigger than the others, and may
be, as Jerdon says, the hens, since in this bird the hen is
rather larger than the cock. But if this is so, it is
curious that all the birds in a brood are either hens, or

THE CUCKOOS. 153

cocks — at any rate, I have never seen birds of the two
types brought in together, which, one would think, they
should be if the colour were merely a sign of sex.

The Crow-Pheasant is found all over India, Ceylon, and
Burma, but does not go any distance up the hills ;" east-
ward it extends to the Malay Islands and China. It is
a very common bird in India, and may often be seen
by the railway, its red and black plumage conspicuous
in its slow heavy flight ; it is usually alone. It is
active both on the ground and in trees, running well,
and hopping actively amongst the boughs. It feeds on
any small animals it can overpower, insects, small
reptiles, and so forth, and holds down its prey with
one foot when tearing it. Among other things, it kills
snakes, and should on this account be protected
although destructive to young game.

It usually breeds from June to August, but in South
India earlier ; the nest is a large round one of leaves,
grass, etc., with a hole in the side, and placed in a thick
bush or tree. There are usually three eggs, which are
chalky white, and nearly an inch and-a-half long.

The young are easily reared on raw meat, cockroaches,
etc. When fledged they will eat practically anything
and at any rate the barred ones make very nice pets.
One I had used to go about the compound quite at liberty,
and would always come to me to have its head scratched,
although it violently resented being taken up. Mr. D.
Ezra had one recently which he allowed at times to run
about his room, when it was as friendly as a dog, and, like
one, would sit contentedly at his side, even at night.

154 GARDEN AND AVIARY BlRDS.

The quite young bird has a peculiar choking call when
crying for food, like " guk-kop-kop." The note of the
old ones is a kind of hoot "hoop, hoop," and, like the
notes of Cuckoos generally, is heard more often than the
bird is seen.

CHAPTER VII.

THE PARROTS AND PIGEONS.

THE Parrots are so different from all other birds that
all ornithologists are agreed in giving them an order to
themselves. They vary a great deal in size and colour
but are always easily recognized. Their beak is exceed-
ingly short and thick, and very much hooked ; the upper
jaw being moveable as well as the lower, in order to give
sufficient play under the circumstances. Their shanks
are very short, and, like the toes, covered with many very
small wart-like scales ; the toes are in pairs, the outer
front toe being turned backwards.

Most of them use the feet as hands, holding pieces of
food in one while they eat it. Another very characteristic
habit of Parrots, and one almost confined to them, is the
use of the beak as a third leg in climbing ; indeed, the way
in which they clamber about the boughs is very charac-
teristic. As a rule, they keep to the trees, and when on
the ground move with an awkward waddle. They are good
flyers, but the style of flight differs a good deal. Their
nests are almost invariably in holes of trees, etc., without
any lining ; and the eggs are always pure white. The young
are usually naked at first, and fledge off very like the
parents. When small, they are fed by the old birds from
the crop, and as they will gape for food, are easy to rear.

156 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

Parrots are found throughout the warm regions of the
world, and a few even in temperate climates ; but there
are none wild in Europe, and only one in the United
States. Only a few kinds are found in India, but many
are imported from the Eastern Islands, Australia, and
even -South America, and are so well known as to have
native names. Parrots, indeed, are the oldest and most
universally popular of all pet birds, largely on account of
their well-known power of imitating the human voice ;
and of late years it has been realized that the smaller
species at all events are most admirably suited for
aviaries.

As this work deals only with the birds of the garden
and aviary, I shall not say anything about the large species
of Parrots — Cockatoos, etc., commonly kept in cages ;
and in dealing with the aviary birds, I shall be compelled
to limit myself to a few easily obtained and particularly
desirable species, space not permitting to treat of all the
many kinds imported. In keeping and handling Parrots,
it must be remembered that they bite like rats, and they
must by no means be associated with birds smaller than
themselves ; in fact, if their companions are bigger it will
be just as well. With birds of their own order they
get on fairly well, so that several kinds may be kept
together ; though not always if they are breeding.

For breeding accommodation, boxes with a small entrance
hole or some other artificial cavity, should be provided.
A section of an old log with a chamber hollowed out in it
would be best of all, because most natural. Fortunately
they seldom require animal food, so they are very easy to

THE TYPICAL PARROTS. 157

provide for ; as most people must have observed, they
crack all sorts of grain before eating it, and generally eat
very slowly, like the Finches. No species of Parrot has as
yet been thoroughly domesticated, though several are
bred ; but no one, however, he and she may object to
keeping birds captive, need feel qualms of conscience
about Parrots, for they are the most destructive of all
birds to field and garden crops, and would have to be killed
down if not caught for caging. The Parrots are divided
into several families, examples of three of which are con-
stantly to be had in India.

THE TYPICAL PARROTS.

The Typical Parrots form the largest family, such species
as the well-known Grey Parrot of India, the Amazons and
Macaws of America, and all our Indian Parrots, belonging
to it. The small long-tailed kinds are called Parakeets
or Parroquets. The Parrots of this family are hardly
ever crested, nor do they have a brush tongue. They
feed both on fruit and grain, and should only receive such
food in captivity, sop or other soft food being avoided.

THE COMMON INDIAN OR ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET
(Paloeomis torquatus). This well-known bird, called
Lybar Tola in Hindustani, and Tiya in Bengali, hardly
needs description, but it may be characterized briefly.
It is about sixteen inches long, about ten of which belong
to the tail ; in colour it is green with a red bill and white
eyes. The male has a black throat, the black running a
little way on each side to join a rose-pink collar which
extends round the back of the neck.

158 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

Young birds of both sexes are like the hen at first, having
no collar, but their eyes are black so that they can easily
be distinguished from old ones.

Varieties of this Parakeet are not at all uncommon ;
many birds are found splashed with yellow, and now and
then a pure yellow one turns up, which, if a male, retains
the red collar. Both sexes of the yellow variety have
a red bill, but their feet are flesh-coloured, instead of grey
like those of the green birds. Their eyes are often pink ;
if this is not the case, they are liable to moult out into the
ordinary green plumage. A pale yellow-green variety is
also found, but seems to be very rare.

This species is found nearly all over India and Ceylon,
and extends east to Pegu ; but it usually avoids the hills.
It is much the commonest of Indian Parrots, and is far
too familiar as a garden-bird, doing a great deal of damage
to fruit. It even comes into towns, where its presence is
unobjectionable, and gives an added touch of Orientalism
to the scene, especially in Bombay where it is very numer-
ous ; in Calcutta, it is not very common. It breeds from
January to May, using holes in buildings as well as those
in trees. Many birds are brought into the markets un-
fledged, and to secure and rear a few of these is the best
way of getting a talker, as birds already instructed are
naturally dear and hard to get. Young Parakeets are
commonly fed in Calcutta on soaked lentils, and learn to
feed remarkably early, especially when it is considered that
they naturally do not leave their holes till quite fledged.

In an aviary these birds do well, and have bred in cap-
tivity in England ; it would be worth trying the

THE TYPICAL PARROTS. 159

experiment in India in order to propagate the beautiful
yellow variety. If specimens of this could not be got,
careful breeding from heavily-splashed birds, such as
can often be had in Calcutta cheaply, might very possibly
produce it before long.

Some specimens of this Parakeet talk very well indeed ;
the only talking individual I have ever seen myself was a
hen, so it would appear that sex does not matter much.
It is almost the oldest foreign cage-bird known in Europe,
as it was kept by the ancient Romans ; the parrot whose
funeral ode was written by Ovid was evidently a bird of
this species, since the poet describes it as green with a
red bill. A great many are sent to England yearly, and
sold very cheaply.

A very similar species to the Ring-necked Parakeet is
the bird commonly known to dealers as the Rock Parrot,
and in books as the Alexandrine Parakeet (Palceornis
nepalensis). This, however, is a much larger bird than
the ordinary Ring-neck, and has, in both sexes and at all
ages, a large dark red patch on the wing, which will dis-
tinguish it at once. It varies a good deal according to
the district it inhabits, but the different varieties can
hardly be ranked as species, though this is commonly
done. Classing all these large Ring-necked Parakeets
together, the Alexandrine may be said to be found almost
all over India, Ceylon, and Burma and also extends to
the Andamans, where it is very large and bright coloured.
The only yellow specimen of this bird I have ever seen
came from these islands, but it was not a very pure
yellow. The Alexandrine Parakeet is known to the

160 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

natives in Bengal as Chandana, and is very often kept
by them.

There are several other Indian species of these green
Parakeets, but the only one which we can notice here is
THE BLOSSOM-HEADED PARAKEET OR PLUM-HEADED
(Palceornis cyanocephalus) called Tuia in Hindustani and
Faraida in Bengali. This lovely little bird is not bigger
than a Mynah in body, but its long tail makes it
measure well over a foot. In colour the cock is mostly
green, with a crimson head washed with blue, just like
a ripe red plum ; the long middle tail feathers are rich
blue with white tips, and there is a small red patch on
the wing. The bill is orange. The hen is very similar,
but has a purple-blue head instead of a red one, and
no red spot on the wing. Young birds are all green, but
soon show colour on the cap ; their small size and
orange bills will easily distinguish them from young Ring-
necks.

The Plum-head is found in Southern India and Ceylon,
and right up to the lower slopes of the Himalayas. In
the eastern part of this range it meets Rosa's Parakeet,
or the Eastern Plum-head (Palceornis rosa) which is the
common species in Burma. This differs from the Indian
bird in having a much paler head, the male's being pink
rather than crimson, more like a peach than a plum ; the
hen's head is paler and greyer than the Indian bird's
and she has the red wing-spot like the cock. The most
certain distinction (as some Indian males at all events
have very pale heads) is that in the Indian Blossom-head
the lining of the wing is a distinct blue-green, whereas

THE TYPICAL PARROTS. 161

the Burmese has the under side of the wing as pure a
green as the upper.

The Burmese Plum-head seems to have much the same
habits as the Indian, which is far more of a jungle-bird
than the Ring-neck, though it sometimes comes into
cultivated land and makes itself a nuisance.

It is even swifter on the wing than the Ring-neck, and
has a much prettier note, which is too musical to be
called a screech. It breeds from March to May ; the
Burmese bird's breeding-season is earlier in the year.
Both species are fairly commonly sold in the Calcutta
markets, but the Eastern or pale-headed birds are
usually the commonest, though numbers of the true
Indian Plum-head can be had at the beginning of the
cold weather. It is, however, very scarce in the English
market at the present time, though a good many of the
Burmese species have been sent home, and this kind
has been bred by Dr. A. G. Butler in an aviary.

As aviary birds these lovely Parakeets are particularly
desirable, their beautiful colours, graceful form, and com-
paratively sweet notes being great recommendations.
Yellow varieties are now and then to be seen, and those
I have seen have generally had pink heads and red eyes.
Mr. D. Ezra had a very beautiful specimen when I left
India, but it was to my mind less handsome than a yellow
Ring-neck which he also had.

THE ROSELLA (Platycercus eximius)* is a good example

of the broad-tailed Australian Parakeets I mentioned in

Chapter I. The figure (Fig. 3) on Plate VII will give some

idea of its markings, but the actual bird is quite a

F, GAB 11

162 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

revelation of vivid colour. The head, a patch under the
tail, and the upper breast are scarlet, with the cheeks and
throat pure white ; the lower breast is yellow, and the
back yellow and black ; the wings and tail are rich
purple-blue. The hen is nearly as bright as the cock,
but has sometimes a green patch in tEe scarlet at the
back of the head. The young show more of this, and
are duller altogether, but still much resemble the parents
and cannot be mistaken for anything else.

This splendid native of Australia has long been export-
ed from that country, and has been often bred in capti-
vity in Europe. It may frequently be obtained in
Calcutta, but is rather dear. It bears captivity very
well, and will live for years even in a cage, though an
aviary is far more suitable for such active birds as are
these broad-tailed Parakeets. In such an abode
the Kosella is seen to great advantage, as it constantly
flies about, exhibiting its brilliant colours, and often
uttering a pleasant note. Caged specimens occasionally
talk, but this can hardly be recommended as one of the
regular talking Parrots.

Occasionally one may obtain in Calcutta two other
very lovely Parakeets allied to the Kosella, and much
resembling it. These are the Mealy Rosella (Platycercus
pallidiceps), which has a delicate pale yellow colour
where the common bird is red, on the head and upper
breast, and the lower breast a beautiful blue ; and
Pennant's Parakeet (Platycercus elegans) which is crimson
and purple. The latter is a bigger bird than the other
two, and almost entirely olive-green in its first plumage.

THE TYPICAL PARROTS. 163

THE BUDGERIGAR OR UNDULATED GRASS-PARAKEET
(Melopsittacus undulatus)* is represented in Plate VI (Fig.
2). This and the brief description attached to the plate
will give an idea of the colours and markings, and it may
be added that the centre tail-feathers and some spots on
the cheek are rich blue. Both sexes are alike in plumage,
but in the male the cere, or naked skin surrounding the
nostrils, is rich bright blue, and in the female pale blue or
pale brown — in the latter case she is just ready to breed.
Young birds are much like the old ones, but have dark
eyes and the pencilling of the head continued all over
the forehead.

This lovely little Parakeet, also known as Zebra Para-
keet, Shell-Parrot, and Australian Love-bird, is, as the
last name implies, a native of Australia. Indeed, the
title Budgerigar, by which it is now generally known
both in England and in India, is derived from the
name " Betcherrygah " given to it by the Australian
blacks.

It is sociable in habits, going in large flocks, and
for about half a century vast numbers have been ex-
ported to Europe. Many also are sent to India, and
they can generally be had in the Bird Bazar at
Calcutta at reasonable prices. Budgerigars are hardy
and long-lived birds in captivity, and will some-
times breed even when a single pair are confined
in a cage. The proper way to breed Budgerigars is, how-
ever, to turn about three pairs loose into a fair-sized
aviary ; as, unlike most birds, they breed better in com-
pany, being sociable even in the breeding season.

164 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

Cocoanut husks with an entrance-hole at one end should
be fixed for them to breed in ; for food they need
merely canary-seed and millet, with a fresh sod of turf
put in daily. So treated, they will multiply like the
Sparrows, having up to five young at a brood ; they are,
in fact, the best and most certain breeders of all cage-
birds, and will very much more than repay their original
cost, keep, and housing, if any market at all exists for.
the young. They are much bred in Europe, and have
been bred successfully in India, especially by Mr. F.
Groser, who, starting with only one cock to three hens,
bred a great number for years without any fresh blood.
But this is the only case I know of where these birds have
been allowed to revel in polygamy, and in-breeding is
best avoided — though I am bound to admit that I only
saw one unhealthy bird in all the numbers my friend
had bred in this way.

In Europe a breed of yellow Budgerigars has been ob-
tained, and specimens of this variety are now pretty
generally for sale, though at three or four times the price
of birds of the natural colour. One pair of these yellow
birds I saw was absolutely pure yellow, with red eyes,
but as a rule the eyes are of the natural colour— white
with a black pupil — and the plumage, although yellow
altogether at a little distance, shows on close inspection
faint traces of the dark markings above, and a wash of
green below. The blue cere and cheek-spots are as
bright as in natural-coloured birds. Blue Budgerigars
have even been obtained in two instances, the parents
having been yellow ones,

THE TYPICAL PARROTS. 165

It is evident that fanciers may yet do a good deal in
the selective breeding of this charming little bird and
this not only with regard to its colours, but its mental
abilities also. Now and then a bird turns up which
has an aptitude for imitating others ; I knew one which
had learnt the song of an English Song-Thrush, and
repeated it most accurately in a very pretty undertone. A
few talking Budgerigars have even been recorded — hand-
reared birds, of course ; and a more charming pet than a
tame talking Budgerigar could hardly be imagined. Of
course a talking or mocking specimen should always be
bred from, if possible, as its offspring will probably show
more than average ability in that line.

The Budgerigar is exceptional among Parrots in having
a pretty little warbling chattering song of its own ; it is
constantly exchanging remarks with its neighbours, but
is never an unpleasantly noisy bird. As a companion to
others, it is treacherous, and should never be associated,
especially when breeding, with smaller and weaker birds.
Birds bigger than itself, but harmless, such as doves,
and the strong-billed Finches, such as Java Sparrows, are
the best associates for it. The Javas and Budgerigars in
particular look very well together, and, both being foot-
biters, know what to expect from each other, and so remain
fairly civil. A breeding Budgerigar, however, may be too
much for the domestic happiness of even a Java Sparrow,
and so plenty of extra nesting-places should be provided
if the two species are kept in the same aviary.

Budgerigars are commonly trained by Italian women
to " tell fortunes ; " that is to say, they are carried

166 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

about the London streets in a cage, and for a penny fee
will pull out a small sheet of prophecy concerning one's
future. I argue from the " fortunes " told me by Budge-
rigars that I stand a good chance of living till 79, but
. as the bard once made a mistake, and gave me a lady's
fortune, I am harassed by doubts as to their reliability
as prophets. Our skilful native bird-trainers could
probably do some remarkable things with these birds
since they show such docility.

THE LORIES.

These are a family of very pretty and active Parrots
which live on fruit and the honey and pollen of
flowers. To enable them to gather the last article of
diet they have rather long tongues with a brush-like
tip, with which they lick up their food. They are very
swift on the wing, and much more nimble than ordinary
Parrots among the boughs. On the ground they hop.
instead of waddling like Parrots in general. Their bills
are not quite so short and strong as Parrots' bills usually
are, but they are nevertheless rather spiteful and mischiev-
ous with other birds, although naturally unable to bite
so hard. They never have crests, and usually show
a great deal of red in their plumage. A peculiar strong
smell they have makes them unsuitable as indoor pets,
and it is also a disadvantage that they must be fed
on soft food, such as milk sop, soft fruit, etc., as like all
such birds they are very dirty in a cage. This is a pity,
as they are most tame and pettable birds, showing their
affection more like a puppy than a bird, by tumbling

THE LORIES. 167

and rolling about and playfully biting their owner's
fingers.

If kept in a cage, therefore, this should be as large as
possible ; and the bird should be let out to have its bath,
of which it is very fond. Fits are the chief cause of
death among these birds, and plenty of exercise the best
preventive. No sour food should be given under any
circumstances. On the whole a big aviary where other
strong soft food-eaters are kept is the best place for
Lories. Many species are imported into India, but here
we can only notice two, both of the green-backed
sharp-tailed group known as Lorikeets or Loriquets.

The tiny short-tailed Bat-Parrots (Loriculus) are called
Loriquets in the Fauna of British India ; but this is not
correct, as the birds although feeding in the same way,
have not brush-tongues, and do not belong to the Lory
family. Moreover, since a Parrot with a sharp tail is
called a Parakeet, the corresponding term Lorikeet
ought surely to be restricted to the sharp-tailed Lories.
The term Bat-Parrot is also an excellent name for the
Loriculi, as these birds are unique in sleeping hung up
by one foot, like the Bats among beasts.

FORSTEN'S LORIKEET (Trichoglossus forsteni)* This
species, a native of the island of Sumbawa, was, in my
time, about the most numerously imported Lory in
Calcutta. The figure (Fig. 1) and brief description on
Plate VII will give a sufficient idea of it ; a band across
the belly is purple as well as the head, and the pale collai
is of a light shade of green. Cock and hen are alike,
and the young are, I believe, similar. This handsome

168 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

and lively bird does well in captivity, and has even been
bred in the Calcutta Zoological Garden, the eggs being
laid in an ordinary pigeon-box.

A still better Lorikeet, the Blue Mountain Lory of
Australia (Trichoglossus swainsoni) is occasionally im-
ported, and much resembles Forsten's. It has, however,
the head and belly intense violet instead of purple, the
red breast shading into yellow at the sides, and the tail
much longer. This bird will eat seed as well as soft
food, and is the easiest to keep of all Lories.

THE HARLEQUIN LORIKEET (Trichoglossus ornatus)*
from Celebes, Buton, and Togian Islands, is the
liveliest and gayest of all the Lories imported. The
arrangement of his colours may be gathered from the
figure on Plate VII (Fig. 4) ; the red breast is barred with
purple, and the collar is bright yellow. There are also
some yellow markings on the green of the upper back
and of the belly. The sexes are alike, as is always the
case with Lories.

The great activity and brilliant colours of this bird
make it a very striking ornament for an aviary and an
interesting cage-bird. As the male, at any rate, is of
a very amorous description, it would probably not be
difficult to breed the species in captivity in so favourable
a climate for these tropical birds as India presents.

THE COCKATOOS.

These are large short-tailed Parrots as a rule, always
with some sort of a crest and with the plumage chiefly
white, black, or grey, varied with red and yellow. They

PLATE VII.

One-quarter Natural Si:c.

1.— FORSTEN'S LORIKEET (Green; scarlet breast, purple head). 2.-Coc<KATiEL (Grey and white, yellow
head). 3,-RosELLA (Scarlet head, yellow breast, blue wings and tail). 4.— HARLEQUIN LORIKEET
(breen ; purple cap, red face and breast).

THE COCKATOOS. 169

are grain-eaters, very easy to keep, and many are im-
ported into Calcutta, where they are usually chained or
caged. An aviary would have to be very strong to hold
them, as they have most powerful beaks, which they aie
always burning to use. As, therefore, they are rather
out of the scope of the present work, I shall confine my
remarks to the only small and long-tailed member of the
family which bears much the same relation to the big
Cockatoos as the Parakeets do to the big short-tailed
Parrots.

THE COCKATIEL (Nymphicus novce-hollandice)* The
general shape, size and colours of this bird may be gathered
from the figure (Fig. 2) on Plate VII. The spot on the
cheek is bright orange-red and is present in both sexes.
But the female differs from the male, which is the sex
figured, in having the rest of the head olive instead of
yellow, and in having the side feathers of the tail barred
with black and yellow, instead of plain black as in the
cock. She is thus very easily distinguishable, and the
young of both sexes resemble her at first.

The form of the Cockatiel is particularly slender and
graceful, and this is well shown by its very close and neat-
looking plumage. It is, as might be expected from its
long wings, a strong and graceful flier, and more active
on the ground than most Parrots, being a ground-feeder in
its native country, Australia. There it is often called the
" Joey " on account of the red patch on the cheeks, like
a clown's decorations. The name " Joey " is also
applied to the Kosella, presumably because, like the
Biblical Joseph, it has a coat of many colours.

170 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

The Cockatiel has been for many years much exported
from Australia, and is a great favourite in Europe, as it
breeds more freely than any other Parrot except the
Budgerigar. It can generally be had also in Calcutta at
a reasonable price, and is equally ready to breed in
captivity there ; a solitary hen will even lay in a cage.

In the Calcutta Zoological Garden a pair bred in a small
aviary where they had for companions a pair of African
Spotted Pigeons (Columba guinea) and an English Song-
Thrush. Of the latter they took no notice, but the male
was constantly attacking the Pigeons, although they
were twice his size, and easily beat him off with their
wings. This was while the sitting and rearing was going
on ; when the young Cockatiels came out fledged the
Pigeons had their revenge, and pecked one nearly to
death. Another pair of Cockatiels in another compart-
ment showed themselves very unfriendly to a pair of
Ked-crested Cardinals confined with them ; so that the tem-
per of these birds is evidently not trustworthy in Bengal,
where tempers generally are apt to give way on a slight
strain. In England the Cockatiel has the reputation of
being the gentlest of all Parrots, so that it can safely
be kept with, the smallest Finches.

A young male Cockatiel taken from the nest and reared
by hand makes a delightful pet ; it will learn to talk, and
become so tame that it can be let out to fly about in the
open. Altogether, next to the Budgerigar, the Cockatiel
is the most desirable of all aviary birds, and is one of
those which are practically certain to give satisfaction, and
so eminently suited for the beginner in aviculture.

THE PIGEONS. 171

THE PIGEONS.

Pigeons form a family of birds which are found all over
the world, and, like Parrots, are very distinct from all
others, so that they are given an order to themselves.
Their characteristics are easily seen in the common tame
Pigeon — the weak bill, soft, and swollen over the nostrils,
the small head, powerful wings, and heavy body clothed
in close powdery plumage. The feet are also very
noticeable, with three toes before and one smaller one
behind, a single row of scales down the front of the
shank, and none at all at the back, which is covered
with soft skin. Most Pigeons have red or purple feet,
a few yellow ones.

Pigeons build very slovenly nests of twigs or dry
grass, generally on the bough of a tree, but sometimes, like
the tame Pigeon, in holes. They never lay more than
two eggs, and the young from these are usually cock
and hen. The eggs are always white or — very rarely —
faintly tinted, and never show any spots.

The young are hatched blind and nearly naked, and
are very ugly helpless little things, with swollen soft
beaks. They do not gape for food like most young birds,
but put their bills into that of the old one, which there-
upon throws up the food from its crop, and lets them
suck it in. The proverbial " Pigeons' milk " really does
exist as a matter of fact, for during the first few days
of their lives the young Pigeons are fed on a secretion
from -the crop of the old birds, which much resembles
milk in appearance and chemical composition. Later
this is mixed with softened grain, until at length the old

172 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

birds give the young the grain almost at once, merely
keeping it in their crops till they have got enough of it.

Grain of various kinds is, as everyone knows, the
favourite food of most Pigeons, but as they cannot always
get it, they eat a good deal of green food and a few small
snails as well. A good many species, however, are fruit-
eaters, and never touch grain. These have stouter beaks
and shorter shanks than the grain-eating Pigeons.

Pigeons are strong fliers, and use their powerful wings
in fighting, their beaks being so weak, although
they can do each other a good deal of harm with them if
too closely confined. For, in spite of their reputation
for gentleness, they are inveterate fighters in a petty
nagging way. To birds other than their own family,
however, they are usually quite harmless. This makes
them very desirable as aviary birds, for they can be
kept with birds of other families smaller than themselves.
They breed very readily in confinement, and are easier
to manage than any other birds ; both parents sit and
feed the young, and need no special food when breeding.

It is, however, in most cases almost impossible to tell
the cock from the hen, as their plumage is exactly simi-
lar ; the young are rather different in many cases.
The actions of the cock when courting are very interest-
ing and differ much in the different groups.

Pigeons are not usually migratory, and are most
numerous in a hot climate ; there are many wild species
in India, of which only a few can be noticed here. In
addition to the common domestic Pigeon, which is descend-
ed from the wild Blue Rock Pigeons of Europe and

THE PIGEONS. 173

India (Columba livia and intermedia), the only other
domesticated Pigeon is kept in India. Doves are known
as Fakhta in Hindustani and Ghughu in Bengali.

THE COLLARED TURTLE-DOVE OR TAME RING-DOVE
(Turtur risorius)* The wild stock of this very well-known
pet bird appear to be the Turtur roseogriseus of North-
East Africa. It is a graceful, rather long-tailed, bird,
about a foot in length, of a pale delicate fawn colour,
with a black crescent on the back of the neck, and the root
half of the tail-feathers black underneath ; the tips of
all but the centre tail-feathers are white, and the pinion-
quills drab. The eye is deep red with white eyelids,
and the legs crimson in old birds and light pink in
young ones, which have hardly any collar, and noticeably
dull and cloudy-looking plumage. There is a pure white
variety, in which the eye is yellow with a red pupil, and
the beak flesh-coloured instead of black. Now and then
also, birds may be seen of a paler fawn than usual, with
drab instead of black on the neck and under the tail,
and white pinion-quills and side tail-feathers. These
would appear to be a cross between the white and colour-
ed varieties, and Mr. Ezra tells me he has bred similar
birds in this way. But in a case where Mr. J. Bathgate
crossed a young fawn male with an older white hen, the
young were ordinary fawn-coloured birds. This dove
does well either in a cage or in an aviary, but, like all
Doves, can only take proper exercise and show itself off
in a large space. In either case, it breeds more freely
than any other cage-bird, keeping on laying and rearing
young continually.

174 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

Overcrowding, however, must be guarded against, or
the birds will spoil each other's appearance by conti-
nual righting.

The male when courting, inflates his neck and bows
to the female, dragging his closed tail on the ground, and
uttering a note like " coo-kur-roo," which to me is very
pleasing, though some people find it painfully monotonous,
as the bird coos a great deal even when not " playing up "
to the female. She also coos, at any rate when
alone. This Dove also has a nasal laughing note, uttered
whenever it settles on a perch, and also by the male
when pursuing the female before he settles down to coo
to her. At such times he hops instead of walking in the
usual way, and runs the last laugh into the first coo in the
most ridiculous way, trying to say two things at once !

The general shape and courting positions of the wild
Turtle-doves are very similar ; they may also often be
seen to fly up straight into the air for a few yards and
come sailing down again with wings and tail outspread,
a very pretty feat which the domestic bird practically
never has a chance of performing, although I have seen
a very tame old cock I had in England do it when I let
him out in the open. But letting out birds like these
would be too risky an experiment in India.

THE WILD KiNG-DovE (Turtur risorius) bears a very
great resemblance to the tame bird, but is considerably
darker in colour, being drab instead of pale fawn running
into pinkish grey on the head and neck. It is about
the same size, but slightly more delicate in form, and
altogether certainly looks as if it might well be the

THE PIGEONS. 175

ancestor of the domestic kind. But it has a distinctly
different coo, and does not so far as I know, ever utter
the characteristic laughing note of the other.

This is one of the commonest birds over most of India
and Ceylon, but is rare in Burma ; it has a very wide
range outside our limits, to Central Asia, Turkey, and
China. In Yarkand it is a regular town bird, and in India
is a eommon garden-bird in most places. About Calcutta,
however, this is not the case, the species being rare, if
found at all.

THE RED DOVE (CEnopopelia tranquebarica) is a small
species, with the tail shorter in proportion, even to its
size, than most Turtle-doves ; its length is thus only about
nine inches. The hen is drab with a black crescent on
the back of the neck and white tips to the side tail-
feathers. She thus looks very like a miniature wild Ring-
dove, but the difference of size is too great for any real
confusion to arise.

The cock Red Dove is very different from any other
species, and even from his own hen, a remarkable case
in this family. He is of course of the same size and
shape as she is, and he also has the same black collar
and white tips to the side tail-feathers, but his body
colour is altogether different, being of a pinkish
brick-red — about the shade that ladies used to call
" crushed strawberry " a few years ago. His head and
centre tail-feathers are of a delicate ash grey, well
setting off the red.

Young cocks are drab, like the hens, at first. This
beautiful Dove has a very gentle innocent appearance, its

176 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

eyes being large and intensely dark, set off in many
cases by dark grey eyelids. In some specimens,
however, the eyelids are pink. The feet are deep
purple, not red or crimson as doves' feet usually are.

This Dove cannot be called very common in India,
though it is widely spread over that country, and extends
to Burma, China, and the Philippines. It is also found
in the Andamans, but is very rare in Ceylon. I
have only seen it wild myself in Dehra Dun — a
remarkably good place for Doves ; and I introduce
it here as a particularly desirable aviary bird. The
unique colouring of the cock makes him most orna-
mental, and the difference between the sexes makes
it easy to select a true pair, thus doing away
with the leading difficulty in breeding Doves. The
Red species is a particularly free breeder ; we had
a pair in the Calcutta Zoological Garden which bred
successfully in a large cage much less than six feet
square, which they shared with other Doves of the
same and other species, and a lot of other birds ! It
has also bred in the London Zoological Garden, and
would be much appreciated by amateurs in England,
where it is very rare as yet.

To people who dislike the monotonous and penetrating-
coo of most Doves, but admire the family never-
theless, this bird may be confidently recommended.
It can only express its amorous feelings by muttering,
which may not be romantic; but is not annoying
to a third party ! I once had a cream-coloured male of
this species, which Mr. Rutledge gave me ; except

THE PIGEONS. 177

for its pale grey head, it was almost an exact
miniature of the domestic bird. Like most Turtle-
doves, the Bed Dove seems to breed at almost any
period of the year, but its eggs are not perfectly pure
white, but tinted with cream-colour.

THE SPOTTED DOVE (Turtur suratensis) is the opposite
of the Red Dove as regards proportions, having a decid-
edly long tail and short wings. It is a little smaller
than the Ring-dove. Its colouring is not very easy to
describe, but quite unmistakable ; the general hue is
pinkish, running into grey on the head ; there is a large
black patch dotted with white on the back of the
neck, and the wings and back are drab, spotted with
pinkish fawn-colour ; the four centre tail-feathers
are brown, the rest mostly black with white tips. Cock
and hen are exactly alike, but the young are very dull
and brown, without any black and white tippet and
showing merely traces of the pretty mottling on the wings.
The eyelids in old birds are pink-red.

This Dove is found all over India and Ceylon, and as
far east as Manipur ; in Burma it is replaced by the Malay
Spotted Dove (Turtur tigrinus), which ranges east to
Celebes. This species is less fully and distinctly spotted,
and has dark grey eyelids, but otherwise is very
similar.

The Indian Spotted Dove is the common Dove about
Calcutta ; it is a familiar garden-bird, quite common
even in the town, and very tame, even coming on to
verandahs. On my own, I saw one of these Doves attack
and buffet a Crow, which fled ignominiously before it.
F, GAB 12

178 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

Like other Doves of this type, it breeds at all times of
the year. It seems to be a very quarrelsome bird, and
two may often be seen having a vigorous set-to, spring-
ing up and buffeting each other in the air. Its note is
in three syllables, but rather hard to describe. Like
other Doves, this species revels in heat ; I have seen them
at mid-day in May sunning themselves on the grass !

THE LITTLE BROWN DOVE (Turtur cambayensis). This
pretty little Dove resembles the Ring-dove in form,
but is only about ten inches long, and very dainty and
graceful in appearance. Its general colour is brown,
tinged with pink on the head, neck, and breast ; the
belly is white, and there are the usual white tips to the
side tail-feathers. The neck is mottled with black in a
very characteristic manner.

This Dove is common throughout the Indian Penin-
sula from the base of the Himalayas, and extends west
to Arabia. But it is not found in Lower Bengal or in
Ceylon, and is rare on the Malabar Coast. It is a very
tame bird, coming freely into gardens, and has a parti-
cularly pretty soft laughing coo.

THE BRONZE-WING DOVE (Chalcophaps indica), called
Ram ghughu or Raj ghughu in Bengali, is a bird of some-
what different type from the Turtle-doves, with a quite
short tail, and standing higher on its legs than Pigeons
generally — somewhat like a Partridge, in fact.

In colour the male is pinkish-chocolate with metallic
bronze-green wings, a grey cap, and white forehead and
eyebrows ; the eyes are large and dark ; the bill bright
coral-red, and the feet dark crimson.

THE PIGEONS. 179

The hen is very similar, but can easily be distinguished,
having the brown parts of the plumage less rich in colour,
no grey cap, and the forehead and eyebrows grey instead
of white.

The young are very different from either, being mostly
dull brown above, barred with cinnamon and with dusky
below ; but their characteristic shape, with this marking,
will distinguish them. In length the bird measures only
a little over ten inches, but is stout for its size, and about
as big in body as the Spotted Dove.

It has a very wide range, from Mussoorie east through
Burma and the Malay Islands to New Guinea, but is
decidedly local in India itself, being found only in the
lower Himalayas, Bengal, the forests near the Malabar
Coast, and those between the Ganges and the Maha-
nuddy. It likewise inhabits the Andamans and Nico-
bars, and Ceylon where it is called Nila Kobeya. It is
a jungle bird, but sometimes comes into gardens.

I have only seen it wild in Dehra Dun, and have noticed
there what authors have recorded of it — its solitary habits
and low swift flight. It has a soft, long, plaintive
note, said to be very soothing to one ruffled in his temper.
Unfortunately the bird's own temper, as might be infer-
red from its unsociable ways, is anything but good, and
in captivity it is given to bullying other Doves. For a
good-sized aviary, however, it is a very nice bird. As it
is a ground-dweller and active on its feet, its beautiful
colours are well displayed and the difference of the sexes
is another recommendation. In the wild state it breeds
during the first half of the year, and is thought to have

180 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

two broods in this time ; it builds a neater nest than
most Doves, and lays cream-coloured instead of white
eggs, thus keeping up its distinctness ab ovo. Specimens
can often be bought of the Calcutta dealers.

THE CRESTED DOVE (Ocyphaps lophotes)* is a native of
Australia, and frequently exported both to Europe and
India. In size and general form it resembles the tame
Ring-dove, but has a longer tail and legs, and a long
pointed crest. Its general plumage is grey, running into
dull pink down the sides of the neck ; the back and wings
are brown barred with black, and with broad white-
tipped purple-bronze bands on the latter, much like the
wing-bar of a duck. The long crest-feathers are black,
and the tail black, glossed with purple and tipped
with white. The eyes are orange with pink eyelids, and
the feet coral-red. The cock and hen are exactly alike
but the young are much duller and have no gloss on
the wings. They are fledged and leave the nest and fly
about when quite small, only about half the size of the
parents.

This, to my mind the most beautiful and interesting of
all Doves, is a most excellent aviary bird ; but, though
it will live and breed well even in a small aviary, needs a
large space to show itself properly. If this be given, it
will be found far more lively and active than Doves gener-
ally, running almost as quickly as a Partridge, and flying
rapidly, though with a whirring noise. When settling, it
jerks up its tail perpendicularly. When courting the hen
also, it erects and spreads its tail, and, slightly expanding
its beautiful wings, pursues her with the most absurd

THE PIGEONS.

181

courtesies and a not very musical coo. So strong and rapid
on the wing is it, that if turned out in the open, I feel
sure it would be esteemed by sportsmen as a useful minor
game-bird.

The last Pigeon I shall deal with is a representative of the
beautiful group of green Fruit-Pigeons, so characteristic
of the warm regions of the old world.

THE HURRIAL (Crocopus phcenicopterus) is about as
big as a common domestic Pigeon, but stouter in make,
with the wings, tail, and legs shorter. Its bill is stout
and strong for a Pigeon's. Its plumage is soft and
extremely beautiful ; the general colour being a yellowish-
green, becoming almost yellow on the neck and breast ;
the underparts below this, the back of the head, a collar
round the neck, and the end of the tail, are French grey.
There is a narrow yellow stripe across the wings, and the
thighs are yellow ; at the bend of the wing is a lilac
patch, and a buff-and-chestnut one under the tail. The
bill is bluish- white, greenish at the root ; the feet are orange
yellow, and the eyes blue with an outer ring of red. The
hen is very like the cock, but slightly smaller and usually
with less of the pale purple on the wing ; but the sexes
are not easy to distinguish in this species.

This, the common Green Pigeon of Bengal and Burma,
is found eastwards as far as Siam ; to the west it
extends along the base of the Himalayas to the
Jumna, but in Northern India it meets the Southern
Hurrial (Crocopus chlorogaster) of the Indian Peninsula
and Ceylon. This bird, in its typical form, is all
greenish-yellow beneath, showing no grey on the belly;

182 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

on the other hand, there is no green on the forehead and
root of the tail, the head and tail being all grey. Where
the two kinds meet they appear to interbreed freely, as
any number of intermediate specimens occur ; and as the
extreme forms only differ in the points of colour I have
mentioned, they can perhaps better be called local varieties
than really distinct species.

These Green Pigeons are sociable birds, being generally
seen in flocks ; they feed only on fruit which is small
enough to swallow whole, such as banyan figs, and so
are not destructive in gardens like most fruit-eating
birds. Although not rare, they easily escape notice,
as their plumage matches the foliage of trees so beautifully
that they are almost impossible to see. They very
seldom come to the ground ; indeed, there is a native
story that the Hurrial is so proud of never treading the
vulgar earth that it carries a twig in its feet when it
comes down to drink ! If it is really proud, it certainly
must be ashamed of its appearance on the ground, where
it walks awkwardly like a Parrot, not with the dainty
tripping gait of ordinary Pigeons. Among the branches,
however, it moves gracefully and easily, and is so strong
in the feet that it can reach over till its head is pointed
perpendicularly downwards when it desires to pick a
fruit below its perch. Hurrials build scanty open nests
like ordinary Pigeons, and lay the two usual white
eggs. In courting, they do not make so much fuss as
Pigeons in general, merely stooping, expanding their tail
and moving it up and down. Their note is not in the
least like a coo, being a modulated whistle, and they

THE PIGEONS. 183

are said sometimes to be kept for their song. They
will live well in confinement, but, of course, need soft food.
Boiled rice or other grain, or boiled vegetables cut up,
will suit them very well, with any small fruits that can
be got ; with an occasional feed of plantain worked up
with satoo into a crumbly paste. Fresh-caught birds
should have plantains cut up into bits ; but as soon as
possible the plantain should be mixed with rice or satoo,
since it is too messy and sticky if given alone. Fed in this
way all these green Fruit-Pigeons are easy to keep ; and
as they are very rare in Europe, are always worth taking
home.

Hurrials are themselves very good to eat ; but when
one comes to the table qualities of birds, we approach
the domain of the sportsman ; and as game-birds are
barred in this little work, the Hurrial, which appeals both
to the shikari and the aviarist, is a fit bird with which
to close the series.

CHAPTER VIII.

MANAGEMENT OF CAPTIVE BIRDS.

AVIARIES.

THE best place in which to keep and study birds is
undoubtedly a garden aviary. In such a building they
seem very contented and happy, live long and frequently
breed, and give very little trouble ; daily attention to the
feeding and a weekly cleaning being all that is absolutely
required.

Such an aviary should consist of two portions —
a perfectly sheltered house, where the birds can be secure
from hot sun, rain, and driving wind ; and an outdoor
enclosure of wire-netting, in which they can bask and
exercise at pleasure.

The best way of making such an aviary, where facilities
exist, is to partition off with wire-netting one end of a
north verandah on the ground floor, and outside to erect a
masonry platform as high as the verandah floor, on which
should be placed one of those iron structures sold
as plant-houses. When this has been netted over
the birds can go in and out as they please, and they and
their owner can enjoy the shelter of the verandah to-
gether when the weather is objectionable out-of-doors.

MANAGEMENT OF CAPTIVE BIRDS. 185

Of course such an ideal arrangement is often -impossible.
When there is no room in the compound for an outdoor
" flight," a wire-netting bow-window should be made to
project from the birds' end of the verandah, if possible,
as complete exposure to the elements, when they wish
it, is most beneficial for birds. Some Parrots, for instance,
will only bathe in the rain. If there is no suitable
place in the verandah, but plenty of room in the
compound, a small octagonal house should be built
outside, and the wire flight arranged round it ; the
house should be open on the north side, and its roof
well thatched to secure coolness. Or the house may
be built against a north wall, and a long wire plant-
house put in front of it. But house and flight should
always be on a masonry platform three feet high, to
exclude damp and vermin.

The wire-netting also should never be more than an
inch in mesh, and for birds smaller than a Pigeon half -inch
mesh is necessary.

The flight should be turfed and planted with shrubs,
which are best in pots.

MOVE ABLE VERANDAH CAGES.

These are often called aviaries, but this term is best
restricted to the fixed structures described above. Cages
like these are very convenient, and birds of a Sparrow's
size or less live very well in them. They are generally,
however, made far too small. They should never be less
than three feet every way, and should always be support-
ed on legs three feet high. The roof should be abled or

186 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

pyramidal, and always of wood, not of netting, so that the
birds may not be terrified by enemies above them. If
vermin are very troublesome, the wire-netting should be
double, the two layers being kept an inch apart by corks
fixed between at intervals. Upright wires should never
be employed, as birds are never really safe behind these,
but may be torn through.

CAGES FOR SINGLE BIRDS.

These should always be oblong, so as to allow of two
perches being put in a good distance apart and on the
same level ; in this way the bird can get good exercise
by hopping to and fro. Bird-cages are usually cruelly
small ; a bird the size of a Canary requires a square foot of
space, and others in proportion. The floor of all cages
should have a moveable tray to facilitate cleaning,
and the perches should be removeable for the same
reason.

PERCHES.

These are often put in in a very haphazard way, but
care in their selection is well repaid. For large aviaries
natural branches of trees or bamboos, with plenty of
twigs, are the best. For moveable aviary-cages branches
also do well, if the door of the cage be large enough to
put them in ; the door of any cage should always be
big, and closed by sliding, not with hinges.

A row of wooden hat-pegs fixed up against the side
makes an excellent set of perches for an aviary or large
cage. In either of these some perches should always

MANAGEMENT OF CAPTIVE BIRDS. 187

be near the roof, so that the birds may roost well out of
sight of anything which might disturb them.

Long straight perches should be avoided, as these offer
a temptation to selfish birds, which can easily run along
such and keep others off them.

The two perches in a small cage should always be round,
and of different thicknesses, so as to ease the bird's feet
by a change of grip.

NESTING PLACES.

In large aviaries and even in big cages many birds
breed, and accommodation for nesting will be necessary.
This must, of course, depend on the habits of the birds.
Those that nest in holes, like Parrots or Mynahs, need
small boxes, kegs, gourds, or in the case of small species,
cocoanut husks, with a hole at one end for entrance
and a short perch projecting below it.

Those which nest in bushes, such as Finches, will be
well pleased with small wicker cages, of which the door
has been removed ; or a natural bush with plenty of
twigs will tempt them.

Doves, which build an open platform of twigs, are glad
to have trouble saved them by being given a shallow
open basket.

Nesting materials — twigs, short lengths of straw and
hay, fine shavings, dry moss, feathers, and short hair-
should be supplied according to the species of birds
kept. The lighter and looser materials should be tied up
in a little net, to keep them from being blown away and
thrown recklessly about.

.188 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

Many birds like to sleep in holes ; miniature pigeon-
boxes and even cocoanut shells — as opposed to husks —
will suit these.

CLEANING.

Cages, whether large or small, should be cleaned daily
and have the floor-tray covered with dry sand or earth ;
the very fine gravel which can be collected from roads
after a shower is very good.

Aviaries need not be cleaned out so often, though if
the indoor end be in a verandah, a daily cleaning is
best. The bedding in an aviary should be thick if not
renewed daily, and may be of sand, mould, dead leaves,
or saw-dust. Dead leaves will amuse the birds and come
in handy for the garden after. No aviary should be
kept longer than a week uncleaned, unless shy birds are
breeding in it.

The flight will, of course, not need cleaning, but may
be turfed when the grass is getting thin.

Once a year all aviaries and large cages should be white
washed inside. All perches and nesting-boxes should be
removeable, though securely fixed, so as to be cleaned
at this time or oftener.

FEEDING AND DRINKING- VESSELS.

For aviaries and -large cages shallow open pans are best,
proportioned to the size of the inmates. The water-pan
should be large as the birds will bathe in it ; it should
be unglazed, so that they can find good footing on the
flo r of it. In the outdoor aviary it should be placed on

MANAGEMENT OF CAPTIVE BIRDS. 189

the turf in the flight ; in a verandah cage on a sod of
turf put in purposely ; the splashing of the birds will
keep the grass fresh for some time.

Food-pans should have the edges flanged over to keep
the birds from throwing the food about ; an enamelled
iron spittoon, with the centre moveable piece removed,
makes an excellent feeding-dish. If mice are trouble-
some in an outdoor aviary, and no ground-birds are
kept, the food-dishes should be put on little tables, or
hung up in wire flower-baskets. Food- vessels should be
put indoors. Food or water-vessels should never be
stood directly under a perch, to avoid fouling.

In small cages for single birds, the food and water- ves-
sels should always be placed inside, not outside, as is
sometimes done with Europe-made cages. The receptacles
should be little cups, held in place by a peg passed
through the handles which are put between the wires of
the cage. The Chinese-made cups with curved sides
and a narrow mouth are best, as preventing waste. A
cage-bird's bath should be given to it in a separate larger
vessel every morning before the cage is cleaned out, to
avoid mess.

FOOD AND WATER.

These should always be looked to daily without fail.
The water is' best renewed in the afternoon as well as
the morning, as birds often like to bathe twice a day,
and much enjoy clean water.

Seed-eating birds are of course fed on various kinds of
grain ; if larger than a Mynah, paddy and corn of similar

190 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

size may be given, as well as millet and canary seed as
a treat. For birds smaller than a Mynah the small
seeds will form the staple food, but such larger grains
as they are found able to eat may also be given as a
change. Thus, even the little Munias can husk paddy,
and Canaries will appreciate a few oats.

Fruit-eating birds can be fed on plantain and other
fruits, varied with bread-and-milk sop, boiled rice and
vegetables, and satoo (gram-flour) made up into a crumbly
paste with water. As they are gross feeders and apt to
get too fat, the more of their natural fruit diet they get
the better they will live. Insect-eating birds, if smaller
than a Mynah, should be fed on satoo worked up into a
crumbly paste with ghee and hard-boiled eggs. These
small species require live insects constantly, and there
is a class of professional maggot-breeders and grasshopper-
catchers in Calcutta who live by feeding Shamas for
their owners.

Insect-eating birds of a Mynah's size or larger can
be fed on scraps from the table cut up, much as one would
feed a dog ; or they may be given a standing dish of boiled-
rice mixed with chopped raw meat, or satoo worked
into a crumbly paste with this. Cockroaches and
crickets will be suitable insects to give these ; and Jays,
Magpies, etc., need dead mice and young Sparrows
as often as these can be procured. Shrimps are very
good for all insectivorous birds large enough to eat them.

As a matter of fact, many insectivorous birds also eat
and need fruit, Starlings and Thrushes for instance ;
and these are naturally by far the easiest to keep. The

MANAGEMENT OF CAPTIVE BIRDS. 191

purely insectivorous kinds should not be kept by anyone
who cannot command a constant supply of live insects.

Green food, such as the various salad vegetables, is
needed by seed-eating birds, and may be sometimes eaten
by insect-eaters. If these do not naturally eat any salad
or fruit when offered, it is well to mix a little finely mixed
lettuce in their paste, to make up for the green stuff
which they swallow inside caterpillars. Green food for
seed-eaters should be securely tied up, not thrown in. A
few birds commonly kept are Honey-suckers to some
extent. They should have sweetened sop or safoo-pap
allowed them, but nothing sticky. Extreme care should
also be taken not to give sour food to any bird. In
reason, the more varied sorts of food a bird can be got
to eat the better ; but it should never be kept long on
any artificial food exclusively, and its diet should never
be suddenly changed altogether.

The idea that birds always know what is good for them
is a mistake ; they will over-eat themselves disgracefully.
A bird which has not had fruit, green food or insects
for some time should only receive such food sparingly
at first, or it will make itself very ill, or even die out-
right.

GRIT, LIME AND SALT.

All seed-eating birds, and a good many others, need
grit, such as coarse sand or fine gravel stones, to help in
the digestion of their food. This should be given sepa-
rately in a box if the aviary is not bedded with sand or
earth. Only a very sparing allowance of grit should be

192 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

given to birds which have not had it of late, or they wilJ
take too much, which often causes their death.

Lime is needed by hen-birds when laying, in order to
form the egg-shell, and is beneficial to birds at all times.
The best form in which it can be supplied to small birds
is cuttle-fish bone, which can be obtained from a chemist,
or picked up on the beach if one happens to live near the
sea. The " bone " which is brittle and spongy, should
be securely fastened up by a wire in reach of the birds,
which gnaw it with great pleasure. Plaster rubbish
from old houses is also useful.

Rock-salt is relished by Doves and Parrots, and a lump
may be kept constantly in their reach.

REARING YOUNG BIRDS.

This is very troublesome, as the little things require
such frequent feeding ; " litte and often " being the
method to follow. They should not be taken for rearing
till covered with feathers and nearly ready to fly. The
young of insectivorous birds of the smaller and more
delicate kinds are best reared on white ants and small
grasshoppers ; of the larger, on egg-and-safoo paste and
biead-and-milk, with whatever large insects come to
hand. The young of seed-eaters need to be fed on paste
and sop like those of insectivorous birds, not being able
to digest hard seed till fledged. A small pair of forceps is
the best thing for feeding young birds with ; failing these,
a quill toothpick with the tip rounded off answers very
well. Drops of water must not be forgotten. Hand-
reared birds generally become delightfully tame, and

MANAGEMENT OP CAPTIVE BIRDS. 193

may in some cases be allowed complete liberty when able
to look after themselves. This of course is the very best
way of keeping tame birds, though not often possible.

BREEDING.

All that can be done for breeding birds is to get true
pairs and put them into roomy quarters with suitable
nesting accommodation, and to supply food as natural as
possible. Then if the species is naturally a free breeder,
success will follow. As a general rule, more than one
pair of the same species should not be put up for breed-
ing in the same aviary, and their companions should not
be birds of nearly related species.

When the sexes are alike in plumage, it is very difficult
to pick out a true pair ; but as a general rule males have
larger and particularly longer heads and bills than
females ; and this slight difference of feature is all one
has to go by.

Insectivorous birds and many Finches will often only
feed their young on live food ; and most Finches eat and
require soft food when rearing young. It need scarcely
be added that breeding birds should not be disturbed,
or looked at.

TAMING WILD-CAUGHT BIRDS.

A newly-caught bird should be placed in a cage
covered all over but not so as to darken it. Various
kinds of seed and fruit should be strewn on the floor if it
is a seed-eater, and decapitated insects if it is insecti-
vorous. It will soon begin to feed if let alone for a day,
F, GAB 13

194 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

and then, if it is a soft-food eater, the insects and fruit
can be mixed with soft food to get it used to this. The
perch should run from end to end in a cage used for
taming birds, so that, when the front is uncovered
as the bird eats well, it always looks its owner in
the face, and sees that he feeds it. Thus it will
acquire some confidence, and soon get tame if not
incautiously approached or frightened.

HANDLING BIRDS.

Most ordinary cage-birds, like Finches or Parrots,
should be held gently by the neck, this being passed
between the fore and middle fingers with a small bird,
the body lying in the palm of the hand. In this posi-
tion the bird is quite helpless, and cannot hurt itself.
In handling Parrots care must be taken to get a good
hold, or the bird will manage to bite ; a cloth over the
hand is useful. Doves must be taken in the hand bodily ;
their necks are too slender and delicate to hold them by
especially considering the strength of their wings used in
resistance. If it be desired to open a bird's beak to
make it swallow food, etc., this should be done by prizing
it open at the side near the root, with some blunt flat
instrument ; or the bird, if not possessed of a formid-
able beak, may be induced to bite one's hand. Birds
should never be handled or caught if it can be avoided, but
if tame enough to be touched they much enjoy having
their heads tickled. If they have to be caught in a large
cage or aviary a hand-net should be used ; or a quite
small bird may be douched with water.

MANAGEMENT OF CAPTIVE BIRDS. 195

DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS.

If birds are given plenty of room, kept clean, and
suitably fed, they will practically never be ill ; but if
under these circumstances, they do get out of sorts little
or nothing can be done. At the same time cases occasion-
ally happen which can easily be set right by simple
treatment. The bill and claws, for instance, often over-
grow, and should in such cases be cut back to their proper
length with a sharp pair of scissors. A hen bird when
breeding may suffer from egg-binding — be unable to lay
her egg, in this case a little oil applied to the vent with a
feather will probably give relief. A broken leg, if the
fracture be a clean one, may be bound up with splints
made from a quill, that being the method recommended
by Dr. A. G. Butler.

To avoid disease and accidents the great requisite is not
to overcrowd and not to put strong and weak birds
together. A bird, the size of a Canary, as noted in the
treating of small cages, needs a square foot of floor-space,
and this rule should be rigidly adhered to in stocking
aviaries and large cages. Most people crowd far too many
birds together.

Secondly, birds of different sizes should not be put
together as a general rule, or there will be trouble sooner
or later. Of course, this rule must be modified with
reference to the strength of birds' bills ; a strong-billed
small species may be more than a match for one with a
bigger body and smaller beak. Insectivorous birds, if
large, have a carnivorous tendency and are particularly
untrustworthy with smaller companions.

196 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS.

THE BEST BIRDS TO KEEP.

For a good large outdoor aviary there is nothing
to beat a collection of large insectivorous and fruit-eating
birds — Jays, large Mynahs and Babblers, Lories, Bar-
bets, etc.; and these are all easily kept on simple food.

For a small verandah aviary, such birds as the
Budgerigar, Java Sparrow, and Pekin Kobin, will certain-
ly give satisfaction ; all these three can be kept together
in a space about six feet square. The Budgerigar and
Java should breed well in such a home. Very small
birds, suitable for cages only a yard square, are the
Avadavat, Japanese Munia, Zebra Finch, and Silver bill.
These may be associated with Canaries in a small
aviary. If it be desired to breed good-sized birds, the
Collared and Crested Doves, Kosella Parakeet, and
Cockatiel, will be found suitable tenants for a large aviary.

For song the Shama and Peko are most to be re-
commended to the beginner, unless he is satisfied with
Canaries.

TRANSPORT OF BIRDS.

It may very well happen that an amateur in India may
wish to send or take some birds home, and I have been
careful to indicate which species are rare enough there to
be worth shipment. For sea transport birds need not be
allowed so much room in their cages as is necessary in
the case of a permanent habitation, though the more
space they have the better. These cages should be of
the box pattern, wired only in the front, and should have
for a floor a wicker grating above the draw-tray, as this

MANAGEMENT OF CAPTIVE BIRDS. 197

is a cleaner arrangement than the sanded tray when
space and time are limited. Of course in this case some
gravel should be supplied in a food-pot. Green food
should also be occasionally given to birds on boardship ;
to delicate insectivorous species it is usually possible
to give cockroaches as live food. If none can be had,
pellets of minced washed raw meat should be given
occasionally, but not too liberally, lest scouring be caused.
The larger insectivorous species are much hardier in this
respect, and are easy to manage.

Of course the best time to take birds home is in the
hot weather ; but too much heat in the Red Sea is a
disadvantage, though not so dangerous as the winter's
cold further on.

Birds on boardship are usually looked after by the
butcher, who should of course be propitiated by a sub-
stantial "tip." As the charge of freight on birds — in
the P. & 0. at all events — is one pound per ordinary-
sized cage, it is obvious that a single bird is not worth
taking home, unless a decided rarity or a much-prized
pet.

INDEX.

PAGE.

PAGE.

Accidents to Birds

195

Coucal

.. 152

Avadavat

90

Crows, the

9

Aviaries

184

Crow, King

.. 32

Cuckoos, the

.. 147

Babblers, the .. -*.

14

Cuckoo, hawk . .

.. 150

Babbler, yellow-eyed

21

Barbet, blue throated

130

Dhayal

.. 65

Barbet, crimson -breasted . .

128

Diseases, birds' . .

.. 195

Barbets, the

126

Drongo, racket -tailed

.. 33

Bee -eaters, the

134

Drongos, the

.. 31

Bee-eater, green. .

134

Dove, bronze wing

.. 178

Bhimraj

33

Dove, crested

.. 180

Blackbird, grey-winged

63

Dove, little brown

.. 178

Brain-fever bird. .

150

Dove, Malay spotted

.. 177

Breeding • . .

193

Dove, red

.. 175

Budgerigar

163

Dove, spotted . .

.. 177

Bulbu 1, black -crested yellow

26

Bui bul, common red vented

24

Finches, the

.. 75

Bulbul, red-whiskered

25

Finch, Zebra

.. 89

Bulbul, white-cheeked

26

Flower-pecker, scarlet-backed 118

Bulbul, white-eared

27

Flower-pecker, the

.. 117

Bulbuls, green

28

Flycatcher, black-naped

.. 60

Bulbuls, the

23

Flycatcher, fantail

.. 58

Flycatcher, Paradise

.. 56

Cages, single bird

186

Flycatcher, Verditer

.. 59

Cages, verandah

185

Flycatchers, the. .

.. 56

Canary

93

Food

.. 189

Cardinal, red-crested

99

Cleaning

188

Goldfinch, European

.. 98

Cockatiel

169

Grit

.. 191

Cockatoos, the . .

168

Coppersmith

128

Handling birds . .

.. 194

200

INDEX.

PAGE.

PAGE.

Harewa, gold-fronted

.28

Mynah, jungle . .

.. 48

Honey -sucker, purple

114

Mynah, pied

.. 49

Honey-sucker, yellow-breast-

Mynahs, the

.. 44

ed..

116

Hoopoe, European

140

Nesting places . .

.. 187

Hoopoe, Indian

141

Nightingale, Persian

.. 71

Hoopoes, the

138

Nightjar, common Indian

. . 140

Hurrial

181

Nightjar, the

.. 145

Nutmeg bird

.. 80

lora

20

Oriole, black -headed

.. 43

Oriole, Indian golden

.. 43

Java sparrow

84

Orioles, the

.. 42

Jay, black-headed

12

Jay, blue

131

Parakeet, blossom-headed

.. 160

Parakeet, common Indian

.. 157

King-Crow

32

Parrots, the

.. 165

Kingfisher, white -breasted . .

136

Passerine birds . . 8, 31

,56, 75

Kingfishers, the

135

Peko

.. 18

Koel

14

Perches

.. 186

Pheasant crow . .

.. 152

Lark, crested

111

Pigeons, the

.. 171

Larks, the

111

Pipits, the

.. 105

Lime

191

Pitta, Bengal . .

.. 120

Liothrix

19

Pittas, the

.. 119

Lorikeet, Forsten's

167

Lorikeet, Harlequin

168

Rat-bird

.. 16

Lories, the

166

Rearing of young birds

.. 192

Ring-dove

.. 173

Magpie, Australian

39

Ring-dove, wild

.. 174

Magpie, common Indian

10

Robin, China

.. 19

Magpie, red -billed blue

10

Robin, common Indian

.. 70

Mangoe bird

43

Roller, Burmese . .

.. 133

Mini vet, short-billed

38

Roller, Indian . .

.. 131

Mocking-bird, Chinese

18

Rosella

.. 161

Munia, sharp-tailed

87

Mynah, bank

47

Salt

.. 191

Mynah, Brahminy

51

Sat-bhai

.. 15

Mynah, grey-headed

52

Selection of birds

.. 196

Mynah, hill

53

Shrike, piping crow

.. 39

Mynah, house . ,

45

Shrikes, brown , ,

,. 37

INDEX.

201

Shrikes, the
Sibia, black-headed
Siskin, Himalayan
Siva, blue -winged
Shama

Sparrow, tree
Spectacle bird . .
Starlings, the
Sunbirds, the
Swallow, house . .
Swallow, striated
Swallows, the
S wallow, wire - taile d
Swift, house
Swift, palm
Swifts, the

Taming wild -caught birds
Tailor bird

Thrush, Himalayan whistling
Thrush, orange-headed ground
Thrush, streaked laughing
Thrush, white-crested laughing 17

PAGE.

PAGE.

., 36

Thrushes, the

.. .60

.. 18

Tit, Indian grey

.. 14

.. 97

Tit, yellow-cheeked

.. 13

.. 20

Tits, the

.. 13

.. 67

Transport of birds

.. 196

.. 92

Turtle-dove, collared

.. 173

..23

.. 44

Vessels, drinking

.. 188

.. 113

Vessels, feeding . .

.. 188

. . 102

.. 104

Wagtail, grey

.. 108

.. 100

Wagtail, large pied

.. 107

.. 103

Wagtails, the . .

.. 105

. . 143

Warblers, the

.. 35

. . 144

Water

.. 189

.. 142

Weaver, Bengal

.. 81

Weaver bird

.. 77

.. 193

WTeaver, Madagascar

.. 82

.. 35

Weaver, striated

.. 81

ig 62

White -eye

.. 23

nd 64

Whydah, Paradise

.. 83

.. 16

Woodpecker, golden-

backed 125

ing 17

Woodpeckers, the

.. 123