Some tntercsting Tiirds. \{\1 



a pet on account of its musical notes. I never saw it wild, 

 l)ut tlie men wlio brouglit them in seemed very pleased with 

 tlieir Captures. 1 riid no trai)i)ing myself below 4,000 feet, and 

 fancy these were caught at below 3,000. Ten were brought in 

 and 1 got eight home, having given away two in Calcutta. 

 Thry did very well in an out -door aviary in P.al<loh in the 

 winter on lu'cad and niiil< and leavings of inseclile food, and 

 iruit; lettuce were also fieely taken Ivy th^se and other Laugh- 

 ing-Thrushes. Though they are not so handsome as some of 

 the species with more variegated plumage, I think, this is 

 my favourite Laughing -Thrush. 



The Gkey-sided Laugiiixg-Thrush (D. caerulalus) 

 conies from Nepal and S,kkim. One only was brought in, from 

 about 3,000 feet, I never saw it wild. At first glance it looks: 

 much like a small AMiite-breasleJ, a comparatively well-known 

 bird in England. General colour rufous brown with a white 

 shirt front and some black about the face. Length about 

 11 inches. 'My bird was eaii^y induced, by the poorest imi- 

 tations, to hidulge in its wild call. A friend on board did the 

 imitation almost too well. It is decidedly not safe in a con- 

 lined space even with smaller relatives. 



The Black-Goegeted Laughing-Thkush (Garnilax 

 pectoraHs) is vcj-y similar to the well-known Chinese Spec- 

 tacled J ay -Thrush but is a good deal bigger and lacks the 

 white ring round the eye. On the other hand, it is more varie- 

 gated and has a black gorget. Ijcngth about 13 inches. The 

 only two I got were brought in from about 3,000 feet. They 

 looked like nesting in my Bakloh aviary in February in spite 

 of there being little inducement to do so, but I hear that they 

 have had to be separated into different cages at the Zoo where 

 they have been. They shortly go to our member, Mr. Sich, 

 in whose spacious aviary I hope the course of true love will 

 run smoothly. Ihey were by no means shy in the aviary, but, 

 even Tor Laughing -Thrushes, they are perfect beasts in a 

 cage. 



The Westeex Yellow -winged Laughing-Thrttsh 

 {TrocJialopterum nigrimcntum) is quite the most handsome 

 Laughing -Thrush I have seen. I failed to get or see the 

 still more handsome Crimson-winged. These were the com- 

 mon ones about Darjeeling, but I only got three, all by driv- 



