No. 7.] WHITEAVilS — HIMALAYAN BIRCS. 403 



easily acquires the art of speaking, and of imitating a variety of 

 sounds. The Mina has been dedicated by the Indians to their 

 God Ram, and is usually represented as perched upon his hand.'' 

 Major Norgate says of this species . Regular pitched battles are 

 of constant occurrence amongst the?e pugnacious little creatures ; 

 the two combatants, who usually belong to different flocks, 

 coming to the ground, in order the better to carry on their 

 struggle, which is maintained by clawing, beating with the 

 wings, and rolling round each other, screaming loudly as the 

 combat waxes hot : only for a very brief space, however, is the ' 

 fight confined to these two champions of the rival parties ; one 

 after another the rest come down and mingle in the fray, which 

 often rages so fiercely that broken wings or other injuries at last 

 compel the untiring combatants to cease their strife. The same 

 writer describes the Mina's manner of singing as very amusing : 

 " it inflates its chest as though about to make a most tremendous 

 effort, and then gives voice to such a variety of crowing, grunt- 

 ing and squeaking sounds as cannot fail to astonish its hearer. 

 When in flight the notes of these birds are by no means un- 

 pleasing ; but if alarmed their cry rises to a loud, hoarse shriek, 

 the rest of the party usually joining chorus, till the uproar be- 

 comes general. The nest is constructed with the utmost care- 

 lessness, and is, in fact, a mere heap of straw, twigs, rags, or 

 even shreds of paper ; but in spite of the discomfort of the home 

 thus provided for the young, the latter are tended by both 

 parents with great affection." This bird is said to be a special 

 enemy to locusts of all kinds, so much so that the species has 

 been exported from the Philippines to the Isle of France, to 

 rid that island of the locusts with which it was overrun. Under 

 the protection of the Mauritius government, the Minas have 

 increased so rapidly that (according to Bory St. Vincent) they 

 have completely ruined the entomology of the Island. 



The Scansores, or climbing birds, which have two toes directed 

 forward and two backwards, are fairly represented in this part 

 of Mr. Bulger's collection. The Rose-ringed and Blossom-headed 

 Parrakeets belong to a long-tailed group of parrots, for the most 

 part characteristic of the East Indies and Australia. The Alex 

 andrine Parrakeet, of the same country, is by many looked upon 

 as identical with the first of these. This is generally believed 

 to be the first parrot known to the ancients, a species having been 

 brought to Europe after the Indian expeditions of Alexander the 



