Cage-Birds of Calcutta. 427 



Calcutta they did not commonly figure as pet birdti. The 

 Magpie {Pica rustica) may, howevei'j occasionally be met 

 with, usually as a Chinese importation, and the common 

 Indian Tree-Pie {Dendrocitta rvfa) is often to be observed in 

 the Bazaar. A few Himalayan forms are also pretty regu- 

 larly brought down — the two species of Urocissa (most often 

 U. occipitalis), the beautiful Cissa sinensis, Garrulus lanceo- 

 latus, and sometimes G. bispeciilaris ; while Mr. Rutledge 

 occasionally gets a few Red-billed Choughs (Fregihis gra- 

 culus), which actually do not seem to suffer from the heat. 

 I noticed that these birds looked distinctly larger than the 

 European specimens I used to see at the London Zoological 

 Gardens, and had deeper red bills and feet. 



Of exotic Corvidee I have seen at Mr. Kutledge^s establish- 

 ment Corvus australis and the Chinese Corous tor<i[uatus, 

 while quite lately he had a fine specimen of the Brazilian 

 Cyanocorax cyauopogun. 



Among the Tits the only species I have met with in 

 confinement is Machlolophus xanthogenys, a few individuals 

 which had been brought to Calcutta having done very well. 



Family Paradiseid^. 



Birds of Paradise are of course always scarce and very 

 expensive, but a few males of the two ordinary yellow-plumed 

 species [Paradisea apoda and P. minor) have appeared for 

 sale during the six years I have spent in Calcutta. They 

 thrive well in confinement, and are much thought of by the 

 natives, who identify them with the legendary Huma, which 

 never alights, and confers royalty on whomsoever it chances 

 to overshadow in its flight ! Mr. Rutledge tells me that the 

 Araeer sent a man from Cabul on purpose to inspect the 

 first specimen he obtained^ and to report on its identity with 

 the bird of tradition. 



Family Crateropodidte. 



The Babblers and Bulbuls are particularly suitable for 

 cage-birds, as they bear captivity remai-kably well, and have 



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