Ornithological and Other Oddities 



a black coat and scarlet vest, while in another 

 these hues are replaced by grey and pink, and 

 a third sports a waistcoat of canary yellow. 

 Besides these there is a pied species, and a plain 

 brown one, so that with such an embarras de 

 richesses in the matter of robins at the Antipodes, 

 it is no wonder that we do not hear of any one 

 holding the special place in the hearts of our 

 colonists that the original bird does with us ; 

 the specially attractive bird personality in Aus- 

 tralia seeming to be the comical, if rather vulgar, 

 laughing jackass, that great land kingfisher which 

 is such a mighty hunter of snakes. 



In India robins are again to the fore. Most 

 conspicuous is the pretty magpie-robin, or dhyal 

 as it is called by the natives, whose English 

 name sufficiently expresses its appearance, al- 

 though the hen is not so magpie-like as the 

 cock, the black parts of his plumage being iron- 

 grey in hers. The dhyal is in size and habits 

 intermediate between the English robin and 

 blackbird, but is guiltless of raids on the fruit 

 garden, and, being a very pretty songster, is 

 altogether a most desirable bird. He is some- 

 times imported at home as a cage-bird, and so 

 may now and then be seen at a great bird 

 show ; indeed, the Zoo, and one lucky amateur, 

 have even bred dhyals in aviaries in England. 



But he is not often to be obtained, being 



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