276 PET BIRDS OF BENGAL 



about it among English observers. Blyth 

 says — "The Tuti has a feeble twittering 

 song, but soft and pleasing — being inter- 

 mediate to that of the Gold-Finch and 

 that of the Redpole-Linnet, the call 

 note much resembling that of a canary." 

 Seebohm's testimony is as follows: — "The 

 song of the Scarlet Rose-Finch is a 

 very striking one and not to be confused 

 with that of any other bird. It is a 

 loud, clear whistle — tu-whit, tu-tii-i. It 

 does not require a great stretch of imagi- 

 nation to fancy the bird say — 'I am 

 pleased to see you', the word *see' 

 being strongly accented and slightly pro- 

 longed. The song is never varied but is 

 sometimes repeated twice in rapid succes- 

 sion". But that great aviculturist Dr. 

 Butler seems to have been disappointed 

 in this bird. One of his remarks aocainst 

 the Tuti as a cage-bird is that "there is 

 nothing specially beautiful in its song." 

 "A specimen'' he adds, "my sister Dr. 

 Fanny Butler, brought me irom India 



