Cage- Birds of Calcutta. 431 



erect, and has a more upright carriage, iu addition to its 

 striking light-yellow irides. The eyes o£ young birds are, 

 however, dark brown. 



Family Eulabetid^. 



The common Hill- or Talking-Mynah (Eulabes intermedia) 

 is one of the best-known cage-birds in Calcutta, being 

 brought into the Bazaar by scores at a time, which include 

 both adult and newly-fledged specimens. As everyone knows, 

 some of these birds are very fine talkers, but I have only 

 heard one that was really good, whose imitation of the 

 human voice was perfect. They often prove but short- 

 lived pets, and I am inclined to think that the " satuo "-diet 

 is too rich for these fruit-eating birds, as they usually 

 seem to die in fits, and those I have handled have been very 

 plump and heavy and were probably unduly fat. Recently 

 I saw one with a nearly white iris, the only such specimen I 

 have ever observed among a great number of individuals 

 from India and the Andamans. The smaller Talking- 

 Mynah {E. religiosa) is not often caged here, and I have 

 seen no other bird of this family in captivity. 



Family S t u r n i d iE. 



As might be expected where the family is so well 

 represented, the various Starlings and Mynahs are often seen 

 caged. Much the commonest of them is the ordinary 

 Arr'idotheres tristis, which is even more commonly kept 

 than Eulabes inttrniedia, and sometimes talks nearly or 

 quite as well. It also becomes so tame that it may be 

 allowed full liberty. I have seen several more or less 

 perfect albinos of this species in confinement ; two very 

 curious specimens are at present in the Calcutta Zoological 

 Garden, for which I procured tliem from Mr. llutledge. 

 Both were white when he first obtained them, but one has 

 now completely assumed the normal coloration of the species, 

 and the other has partly done so. A similar phenomenon 

 occurred with a common Babbler (^Crater opus canorus) 

 recently in his possession, which unfortunately escaped. 



