Sir R. H. Schomburgk on the Birds of Siam. 255 



Bangkok. There is always a leader to the flock, and where he 

 flies to and alights, the rest follow ; he also gives the signal 

 for rising from the ground. They are rather heavy upon the 

 wing,and,when a flock is distant from the observer, they might be 

 taken for pigeons. They will not live in cages; and although 

 I have had several, they soon died, so that I have considered it 

 cruel to repeat the experiment. They make their nests in the 

 hollows of the trunks of trees, principally those of the palm. 



] 7. Gracula intermedia, Hay. (Nock undong.) 

 Who, acquainted with Indian ornithology, has not heard of 

 this famous bird — one of the handsomest, one of the most 

 docile and clever of its congeners ? Its ability of imitating the 

 human voice can only be surpassed by the American Mocking- 

 bird. It is lively, will dance or hop at its master's call, and do 

 many other amusing tricks. The bird is too well known to re- 

 quire description ; I will mention, in lieu, a little anecdote of my 

 first acquaintance with the Mina. The state reception on pre- 

 senting myself as Her Majesty's Consul to the second King of 

 Siam being over, he requested me and other officers of the 

 Consulate to accompany him to his private residence, fitted up 

 in European style, furnished with scientific instruments and a 

 select library of works in the English language. While we were 

 in the king's sitting-room, before which was a verandah, I 

 heard coming from that locality a very unbecoming altercation, 

 as I thought, between an old woman and a young girl. I did 

 not understand the Siamese language; therefore I was unac- 

 quainted with the purport of it. I frequently turned my glances 

 towards the verandah to see the disputants, but could not ob- 

 serve any person. The war of words between the contending 

 parties apparently increasing, my glances were more frequently 

 sent in that direction ; I considered it certainly outre that His 

 Majesty should permit such a dispute in his presence. He ob- 

 served it, and then told me the uproar outside was made by a 

 bird — a Mina ; and, leading me to the verandah^ there was the 

 originator of the noise in a handsome cage. But it seemed our 

 visiting him disturbed his talkative powers, and he was silent, 

 " not opening his lips," if such an organ the feathered tribe pos- 

 sess. I have since received as presents and I have bought 



