48 



Bird of Paradise, are some Hoopoes, an Abyssinian 

 Fruit Pigeon, and some White-headed Long- tailed 

 Tits. Of these the first mentioned have apparentl}^ 

 received their somewhat peculiar name from their cry, 

 as both their Latin and Greek names are practical!}' 

 the same; pleasing as their appearance is with their 

 large erectile crests, their habits are quite the reverse, 

 since they are not only filthy feeders, but also use the 

 foulest material for their nests. 



A bird in the next aviary also has a curious name, 

 the Toucan, a South American word which means 

 " nose of bone." The huge beak is very like the claw 

 of a lobster, and no one has yet given what would 

 seem to be a satisfactory explanation of the precise 

 need for its great size ; inside is a long slender feather- 

 like tongue. 



In the same house and belonging to the same 

 family is a Spotted-billed Toucanet, Selejiidera inacic- 

 lirostris, and I think I am right in saying that it is the 

 first of its kind which has ever been in the Gardens. 



Other birds are a Hill Mynali, (which talks beauti- 

 fully and clearly, suddenly coming out with these 

 sentences, " I am surprised at you," " Who are you?" 

 "See Tommy riding a tricycle"), a saturnine-looking 

 Mocking-bird, so called because it possesses the power 

 of imitating the notes of other species of the class, a 

 Blue- cheeked Barbet, a Spotted Emerald Tanager, 

 and two Purple Sugar-birds. One of these last has 

 red legs, a sign of age ; the other, with yellow legs, 

 was originally thought to be a female, but is nov/ 

 assuming male plumage. 



