282 PET BIRDS OF BENGAL 



tends to produce an excess of fat." 



It is a very tanae and gentle cage- 

 bird. A cage is economically the best 

 place for this nervous and timid bird. An 

 aviary will suit if only the other inmates 

 are as gentle and well-behaved as itself. 



Butler says that he paired it up with 

 a hen canary in the hope of breeding 

 mules but unfortunately he lost his speci- 

 men. 



When the Tuti arrives in India in the 

 months of September and October, it has 

 already discarded its summer suit. 

 Coloration Its forehead, crown, and neck 

 are then dull crimson ; wings and 

 tail brown ; lower back rosy red ; cheeks, 

 chin, throat, and upper breast beautiful 

 rose-colour ; lower breast pale rose, fading 

 off into albescent on the abdomen and un- 

 der tail-coverts. After Christmas, owing 

 to the wearing away of the margins 

 and the deepening ot the colour of the 

 feathers, the whole head, neck, chin, 

 throat, hud upper breast become bright 



