no 



Quiet and gentle in its movements, it is not a 

 blustering cage bird, but is rather inclined to crouch 

 than "bang about." In the aviary it flies lightly, 

 and runs and walks gracefully on the ground. 

 Fond of bathing, it keeps its plumage spotless, and is 

 a pleasure to the eye. Being hardy I find it is no 

 trouble to cater for, and it will winter outside with 

 ease in an aviary, and can be caged in a cold room, 

 where undoubtedly many species would be better than 

 in a varying temperature. 



I give a varied menu, and find that on this the 

 bird shows no tendency to fatten although caged. 

 Soaked dog biscuit squeezed and minced with hard- 

 boiled egg, is the staple. Occasionally I substitute 

 potato for this, and add, now and then, a little meat. 

 Sometimes, perhaps, finely sifted barley meal is used 

 instead of biscuit, and a few soaked ants' eggs, also 

 dried plums and ctirrants, of which it is extremely fond. 

 Gritt}'' sand is alwaj^s supplied, and the bird requires 

 to be kept clean, and will take readily any live 

 food offered, such as flies, spiders, cockroaches and 

 earwigs ; but it shows a special partiality for beetles 

 and crickets. Its cage ought to be as big as a proper 

 Thrush's cage, and in such it becomes tame and 

 familiar. There is no need whatever to give meat 

 and egg more often than once or twice a week, and a 

 little cracked hemp is suitable. 



Of this bird in its wild state certain writers give 

 slightly differing opinions. In Madras it builds in 

 large houses, pagodas, etc., but Hume sa3\s it prefers 

 holes in trees. Mr. Blewitt found the nest in mango, 

 tamarind, and jamin trees from May until July. 

 Feathers, grass, and odd pieces of material are some- 

 times used, and the eggs are not quite an inch in 

 length and bluish or pale greenish blue. It can be 

 found on the Himalayas up to a certain range, in 

 various parts of India and Ceylon, and in Lower 



