32 PET BIRDS OF BENGAL 



to breed in captivity. Any small wooden 

 box comes handy to it for nesting. It is 

 known to have done so successfully in Eng- 

 land. In a few instances, however, the 

 nestlings were killed by the cock-bird, which 

 had to be separated from the hen soon after 

 she had laid eggs. When it is housed in 

 an aviary with other birds, care should be 

 taken to eliminate the smaller and weaker 

 birds, as the latter are likely to be worried 

 by the bad-tempered Dhayal. 



The bird is very well-proportioned, has a 

 graceful form, and looks very bold for its 

 tail which is almost always carried erect. 

 The upper part of its body is black with 



a blue metallic gloss, the white 

 Coloration wing-coverts forming a broad band. 



The under-surface is white fron; 

 the chest downwards. The two median pair,> 

 of tail-feathers are black, the others white: 

 the fourth pair is either white with a smaF. 

 black tip, or white with a greater or less 

 amount of black. The bill is black, iri> 

 hazel-brown, and the legs dark plumbeous. 



