Editorial. 153 



A Rare Consignment of Indian Birdr: Our esteemed 

 member Lieut G. Kennedy, when returning to this country on 

 a short furlough, brought with him — that is, started from 

 Calcutta with about 100 birds in March last, consisting of: 

 Plumbeous, White-capped and Blue-fronted Redstarts, Red- 

 flanked Bush Robins, Blue-headed Robins, Orange-gorgetted 

 Flycatcher, Black -headed Sibias, Variegated and Streaked 

 Tiaughing Thrushes, Black Bulbuls, White-eyes (Z. paljiehrosa). 

 Tailor Bird, Green -backed and Crested Black Tits, Temminck's 

 Blue Whistling Thrush, Grey-headed Ouzels, Giant Barbets, 

 Blue-checked Barliets, Rosefinches (3 species), Shamas, Dyals, 

 Green Bulbuls, Han.yiny Parrakeets, Sunl)ii'ds, Jerdon's Accentor, 

 Brain-fever Bird, Orange-headed Ground Thrushes, etc. All 

 went well on route and, there were iiractically no losses 

 till Genoa was reached, where the Whistling Thrush was stolen, 

 and a few deaths occurred owing to sudden change of tempera- 

 ture — 3 Orioles and a Black Bulbul. After Gibraltar was 

 passed there was nothing but disaster — through the Bay of 

 Biscay and up the Channel, the fierce lilizzard of early April 

 was encountered and they arrived in the Thames three or four 

 days late, and about 70 rare birds lost during this period. 

 It was most disheartening, but the marvel is that any were 

 landed alive, considering the weather conditions of the last 

 few days of the voyage. 



Mr. Kennedy kindly supplies me with the following 

 incidents : " Between Port Said and Genoa I was short of food 

 " and had to feed my birds on potted and minced raw meat 

 " and biscuits, and such flies as I could knock over with a 

 " wet towel. At Genoa I got some baked silkworm cocoons, 

 " which I ground and mixed with the biscuits." 



" The Tits were very keen on monkey nuts, which I 

 " got from bags broken in the hold." 



The following birds were landed alive: 



*1 pair Giant Barbets {MegaUtma marshaUorum). 



1 Blue -cheeked Barbet (Cyanops asiatica). 

 *3 Grey-headed Ouzels (Merula castanea). 



1 Black Bulbul (Hypsipetes psaroides). 



1 White-cheeked Bulbul (Molpastes leucolis). 



5 Orange-headed Ground Thrushes (Geocichla cifrinn). 

 *3 Crested Black Tits (Lophophanes 7nelanophus), 



