216 PET BIRDS OF BENGAL 



Durinor the monsoon the bird used to sinsf 

 lustily whenever there was a heavy down- 

 pour. Not only this ; the corridors on my 

 first floor were occasionally washed with 

 water and, I used to notice that, as the 

 water was swept down and fell patter- 

 ing on the court -yard, the bird used to break 

 into song. Its native pugnacity lingers 

 even in captivity and developes into strange 

 conduct. Major Magrath writes of his bird, 

 — ^' A tame one I have possessed for some 

 years, used when allowed out of his cage, 

 to "go for" the bare toes of the native 

 servants and on one occasion he fairly put 

 a man to flight. Curiously enough, a pair 

 of boots or shoes invariably excited his ire 

 and it was most amusing to see him worry- 

 ing the laces, the only part where he 

 could get a good grip of. He is always 

 ready to ''square up" to one's finger if 

 introduced between the cage-bars and, as 

 he daily devours almost his own weight in 

 earthworms, he keeps in beautiful feather 

 and fiofhtinof trim." 



