136 Prk'ufc Iiiiportafiou of Indian Birds. 



Range and Habitat.: Sii1)-nimalayan tracts from (iar- 

 wlial to Dibrii^arh in .Assam, and liastern Ben,L;al. The birds 

 do not vary in size much according- lo locality, but those from 

 Knmaiin are lari^er than those from the other parts of the 

 extended range of this species. It extends into Cambodia. 



Captivity Notes: My lovely male presented to me by the 

 late Lt.-Col. Perreati early in 1908, when ftilly adtilt. died in the 

 early part of this year, showing signs of senile decay: he was 

 evidently one of the largest and most brilliantly coloured speci- 

 mens I have seen, and T have seen many. He was tmcommonly 

 tame, came to hand at once and did not object to being handled 

 --his heart ptilsating not one whit more when he was gri]j])ed in 

 the hand, than when perched on one's tlnger- — tossed into the air 

 he returned to hand or shoulder at once, and this in a large 

 flight 15' hi.gh, thick with growing trees and bushes. He 

 dwelt there amicably with other species — waxbills, weavers, 

 finches, tanagers, ouzels, and thrtishes-— spending several severe 

 winters out of doors. In khj I succeeded in getting a mate 

 for him and never will I forget the display he made when she 

 was turned into his flight — the then Major Perreau was present 

 and said he had never seen anything to equal it — wall-creeper- 

 like, he clung to stem and wall with wings outspread — the in- 

 tense verdigris-blue of the l^end of the wing now a Imge patch 

 — making a feast of beaut \- !)evond the power of words to 

 describe; now he has " gone west " and alas! his donor also. 

 vStrange fatality, I lost the hen also this year-her end was 

 tragic, she fell a \ictim to a marauding rat wdiich obtained 

 entrance into the aviary. Numerous and gorgeous as are the 

 feathered aliens which reach our shores, none are more attract- 

 ive or beautiful than the Gold-fronted dreen Fruitsucker. Added 

 to these qualities must be that he is a fine songster and possesses 

 no mean powers of mimicry. 



Hardwick's Grf.kx I'"RinTsucKi-:R (C. hardwickii) : An 

 even more beautiful species than the i)receding species in the 

 eyes of some aviculturists, l)ut not in tlie writer's opinion, nor 

 yet is it as robust, hardy or confiding as aitrifrons. After all 

 we each have our opinions and are differently pleased: with me 

 at any rate the Gold-front stands first. 



