Indian Sunhirds. 133 



" streak from chin to stomach as a mark of his sex 



" I well remember one bird which came to the Museum'' compound 

 "after breeding, to change his plumage: he kept very much to 

 " two or three trees, singing, apparently, from one particular twig, 

 " and even when in undress he kept up his song." 



" I have once at least seen two males on the same day, 



" one in summer plumage, and the other in full breeding plumage/' 



I raised the question of the seasonal change in plumage 



of the cock of this species in the Journal of the Bombay 



Natural History Society some time ago, but elicited no 



information 



Here is one of the many questions which the aviculturist 

 is better al)le to answer than either the field naturalist or the 

 museumi student, and I trust that what I have written may 

 lead tu 'he question being settled as to whether the cock A. 

 asiatica undergoes a regular second change of plumage. 



Treatment in Captivity: The above interesting 

 article would be. in a measure incomplete in a Journal like 

 Bird Nofps without some remarks as to how to keep the species. 

 'J'he following remarks are my recollections of a conversation I 

 had with our esteemed member, Mr. ,C. T. Maxwell, who 

 exhibited a specimen in full colour at the L.P.O.S. Show at 

 the Crystal Palai^e in February last, the bird had then been 

 in his possession about ten months. When it came into his 

 possession it was either a young bird or out of colour, when 

 just beginning to change its garment it was exhibited at the 

 L.C.B.A. at the Horticultural Hall, in November, 1910, and 

 the fact of Mr. Maxwell being able to get it into the ex- 

 quisite condition in which it was staged at the Palace Show, 

 abundantly demonstrated the excellence of his methods. 



It occupied a roomy cage, in which it was perfectly 

 contented and happy, always singing merrily during bright 

 weather. Jt was fed on syrup-sop and ripe fruit. 



Syrup sop : I ilid not ask Mr. Maxwell for full details 

 but he told me it consisted of boiling water, Nestle's milk, 

 honey, Mellin's Food, and crumbled sponge-cake. The fruit 

 it liked best was Tangerine oranges, though I gathered it was 

 not confined to the one variety. 



Of course this is a species which requires much care, 

 but if it were imported more frequently it would soon be as 

 freely kept as Sugarbirds, 



