254 Birds In and About the Stat tun. 



longest certainly owed their survival to tlieir having taken fairly 

 early to other food as the supply of groundnuts decreased; th(> one 

 at the Zoi' would eat a little ordinary seed and sopped mai/.e, while 

 the last I took home would occasionally condescend to take a small 

 piece of bread or potato, even before the grcundnuts began to get 

 old and unsatisfactory. I see I said at the beginning of this article 

 that the Bambaras never got tame; however every rule has an 

 exception, and I must not forget t:i mmili )ii one I saw in Batluu-st 

 some years ago, which was really steady and apjiarently reconriled 

 to cap'tivity, though I noticed that its owner ncvei- tiuslcd his 

 fingers within reach of his pet's beak and that when changing 

 the water tin in its cage, he was can^ful to keep the hand inside 

 near th.o bird's tail end, while the other (outside) cnga.g-ed 

 and interested its head. 



Nov., 1!)1(). I can ikjw add thai 1 know two " Hambai'as " 

 which h.avc reached at last t.lie age oF two ycirs in can-'iviiy. They 

 originally came from the Gamliia, and a •(■ st 11 thriv'ng in I'higlaiid, 

 one at the Zoo, the other with a fri'inl, but I d;) n t think either 

 can be called tame or really reconci (>d to cige-lil'e. 

 To be continued. 



Birds in and about the Station (Bakloh, Punjab). 



By C'ArTAiN G. A. Perrt^au. P.Z.8. 

 {Continued /ront pufjc 23.'!). 



SHRIKES: We have two wliich are cominou .unuiicr 

 visitors. J^oth iiialct* very ijood pets wIiimi liand-rcaretU Wikl 

 caught l)U'ds 1 have not tried but fancy tliey would be difHeult 

 to steady down. They liave yonio quite pleasing notes and 

 some very harsh ones. They api)ear to be fair mimics. Both 

 build large nests, untidy as t-j the outside, in bushes or busfiy 

 trees from May to June. The eggs are of the usual Shrike 

 type. 



The Bay-backed Shimke {Lanius vitlatus), is a good 

 deal the smaller of the two and is a natty handsome bird. 

 Oates calls it resident, but, I think it must be put down 

 as a vertical migrant, as I have seen it in summer up to 

 nearly 6,000 feet, and in winter never above 3,500 feet. 



Description: Middle of head white, turning grey on 

 back of the head and nape; usual Shrike eye-stripe and fore- 

 head black; back and scapulars deep chestnut-maroon; rump 

 white; wings black with a white patch; tad black and white; 

 breast fulvous darker on Hanks; remaining lower plumage 

 white. Length 7,5 inches, tail 3.4. 



