190 Notes from an Auiatcur in Ceylon 



friends call it. They are plentiful locally, eating- quantities of 

 l)erries and fruit. 



About six weeks ag^o a beautiful (Joklen Oriole was 

 brought to me, who seemed very dazed and poorly, her captors 

 saying they could bring two young like her. I aske 1 them to 

 bring these younsters. On their arrival, some time after, the 

 Oriole proved to be their mother, who faithfully began feeding 

 them at once. Shortly after, the father was brought to me, and 

 I had great hopes of successfully keeping this beautiful family, 

 as they are apparently very unexcitable birds, and started feed- 

 ing freely at once. The cock bird fed his mate in the most 

 touching way, and the hen continually fed the young, although 

 to my sorrow I found her back had been injured and I hear she 

 was kept too long without food. 



The second day she died, after having fed her babies to 

 within five minutes of her death, and within another twelve 

 hours the cock died too. I wish now I had released him. I do 

 not know if he pined, or if I was giving unsuitable food (not 

 enough berries, and too much insect food). He was absolutely 

 unable to grasp the idea of feeding the young ones, a curious 

 thing, as he had been so unfailing in feeding his mate. The poor 

 little things clamoured round him, much to his nervous discom- 

 fort. 



I am glad to say we have reared these little orphans, so 

 far )nost successfully; principally on fruit, peameal, white ants 

 and their eggs. They are now l)eautiful birds, rapidly attaining 

 full plumage, but still flecked with brown and lacking the 

 brilliant ruby eyes of the adults, and are delightfully tame. 

 When they first came they could fly a little, but must have been 

 quite young, being half their full size, and with very young 

 birds' beaks, and bare heads and beaks ; they were already yellow 

 with dark wings, but mottled all over the yellow areas with 

 brown. At that early age they often sang a note or two. They 

 did not feed themselves for nearly a month after I got them. 

 I shall venture to put them in a very small birds' aviary, and 

 watch results, soon. They have no fear of being handled, and 

 their parents, when first caught, showed no actual fear of people 

 only dazed distress at captivity, hopping about, but never flopp- 

 ing against the bars. The Cingalese believe these birds to 



