40 My Sombre Huiicy-Eoter. 



It is closely allied to tlic I>tl] Bird (.1/. nichniophrys), 

 but, while they possess many features in common, its deepest 

 call-note is not anything" like so sonorous as that of the Bell 

 Bird. 



Description : Above dusky-grey, with the centres of the feathers 

 darker (brownish-grey), but the combination is very soft and the variegation 

 not striking; rump and upper tail-coverts whitish silvery-grey; wings and 

 tail olive-brown, with the external bases of some of the flights greenish, and 

 tips of tail-feathers whitish-grey ; forehead yellowish-olive ; lores, line below 

 tf.e eye, and ear-coverts blackish ; top and sides of head, throat and entire 

 ur.der-surface pearly-grey, the lighter margins of the feathers imparting a 

 beautiful obscurely scaled appearance to these parts; the bill, which is long, 

 curved and very wide at the base, is bright yellow : bare skin round the 

 eyes and on each side the throat yellow; feet dull orange. Total length 

 about 9J inches ; tail about 4 inches. 



Its popular name is more or less of a misnomer and can 

 only apply in so far that the variegation of its beautiful, soft- 

 coloured garment is obscure. In fact it is one of the most 

 beautiful birds I have ever possessed, and it possessed many 

 other attractive qualities also ; it soon became steady, and 

 speedily developed a large amount of cupboard-love towards 

 me — none the less attractive, because self-interest was so 

 apparent. Even in the moderate dimensions of its birdroom 

 flight its agility was surprising" as it leapt and bounded amid 

 the branches, while the manner and ease with which it captured 

 mealworms thrown into the air, in so small a place was little 

 short of marvellous. 



Thus it passed the first summer and winter with me, and 

 as, when spring" came round, it was in splendid form and 

 plumage, I turned it into a small aviary 12ft. square, among 

 parrakeets, budgerigars, grey-winged ouzels, cardinals, doves, 

 etc. Here its behaviour was exemplary, and I saw it under an 

 entirely different aspect — charming and attractive as it had been 

 in the small indoor (unheated) flight, it was far more so in the 

 larger space; its attractive features were intensified, expanding 

 as it were in the increased space, and altogether he was a source 

 of unending interest and pleasure, but I only enjoyed him for a 

 short time under this aspect — niore of this anon. 



If he was agile in the small flight, his agility was simply 

 marvellous in the larger outdoor one; he caught mealworms 

 and other insects on the wing as agilely as do swallows, and his 



