400 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. vii. 



Eater catches sight of it he dashes at it, and swallowing the 

 baited hook is readily captured. In South America and the 

 West Indies, the Bee-Eaters are represented by the Jacamars. 



In India the Slender Billed Birds are mostly Sunbirds, which 

 there take the place of the Humming birds of Central America, 

 and the Honey-Eaters of the Australian Continent. 



In the third section of the Insessores, the Deutirostres have the 

 mandibles more or less toothed. Among the typical warbling 

 birds in the present collection is a specimen of the Magpie Robin, 

 which in structure is allied to the Redbreast of Great Britain, 

 and in colour only to the European Magpie. In India the Magpie 

 Robin is constantly caged, both for the sake of its song and for its 

 pugnacity. According to Mr. Hodgson, fighting the tame birds 

 is a ftiYOurite amusement in India, and he adds that no game 

 cocks can contend with more energy and perseverance than these 

 little birds. The same author states that the professional bird 

 keepers take advantage of this pugnacious disposition in their 

 pets to make them instrumental in the capture of their wild 

 brethren. During the spring it appears the male birds are con- 

 tinually challenging each other, and as soon as one has uttered 

 his note of defiance it is answered by another, and these alterca- 

 tions usually end in a battle. The bird keeper accordingly car- 

 ries a tame male on his hand to the nearest garden or grove, 

 when the bird at his bidding utters its challenge, and if this is 

 answered by a wild bird, the tame one is immediately slipped, 

 and a desperate combat commences, in the course of which the 

 man easily secures the wild bird, the tame one actually assisting 

 in the act, by holding its opponent with its bill and claws. 



Another warbler in this collection is the Ceylon or Short-tailed 

 lora, which is allied to the Hedge Accenter of Europe. From 

 the Warblers proper we pass on to the true Thrushes. The 

 Malabar Whistling Thrush belongs to the Formicarinae or Ant 

 Thrushes. In this group the wings and tail are much shorter 

 than in the typical Thrushes ; they feed upon insects and devour 

 large quantities of ants, hence their popular name. The Blue 

 Rock Thrush is the only typical thrush in the collection ; it is 

 also, though rarely, found in southern Europe. 



The Old World Orioles are very closely allied to the Thrushes, 

 while the American species belong to the Starling family. The 

 Indian Golden Oriole (Oriolus Kundoo) is often called the Mango 

 bird by" British residents. It is said (by Jerdon) to have a loud 



