Ornithological and Other Oddities 



To take a few concrete instances. The Pekin 

 robin (Liotkrix luteus) is imported in the early- 

 year by the hundred, and is a bird remarkably 

 likely to win his way to freedom. If any bird 

 could be, like Sir Boyle Roche's proverbial one, 

 in two places at the same time, it is the liothrix ; 

 he slips out of a cage or aviary door with con- 

 summate ease, while, though looking- stout as a 

 bullfinch, he can squeeze through the drinking 

 hole of a canary cage, if this is rather larger than 

 usual. Once out, he can take care of himself 

 better than any English bird I have ever seen ; 

 in hopping he is a very " Spring-heeled Jack," 

 and his flight, if short, is remarkably sharp, while 

 he takes good care not to expose himself in the 

 open. These peculiarities, added to the fact that 

 he is hardy and omnivorous, make it not at all 

 surprising that a specimen turned up in Norfolk 

 one November, quite healthy and perfect, though 

 with the richness of its colours dulled. Since 

 then, several escapes have come to my personal 

 knowledge ; the breakage of an aviary in a storm 

 liberated three of these birds in Surrey, and one 

 got away into a London square. We may thus 

 conclude that every year a good few of such a 

 species as this make the experiment of adapting 

 themselves to English conditions. Besides, in 1 905 

 I turned out more than three dozen in the London 

 parks ; yet none were seen after a few months. 



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