hidian Birds 



I. The common sparrow, 6 inches in length. 

 II. The bulbul, 8-9 inches in length. 



III. The myna, 10 inches in length. 



IV. The Indian house crow, iji ins. in length. 

 V. The kite, 23 inches in length. 



My system is as follows. If A be a bird of 

 which the length is 5 inches, I affix in a bracket 

 - I, which means that is a bird smaller than a 

 sparrow ; if it be 6 inches in length I affix 

 simply I ; if it be 7 inches in length I affix + 1, 

 denoting that it is larger than a sparrow, but 

 smaller than a bulbul, and nearer to the spar- 

 row than the bulbul in dimensions ; had its 

 length been Ji inches I should have described 

 it as - II, i.e. rather smaller than a bulbul. 

 By these means he who consults this book will 

 at once be able to form a rough conception of 

 the size of each species described. Those who 

 desire more details will find them in 7he 

 Fauna of British India. In this connection 

 it is worthy of mention that certain small 

 birds, as, for example, the adult cock paradise 

 flycatcher, have very long tails. Such a bird, 

 if measured from the tip of his beak to the end 

 of his tail (as ornithologists usually do), would 

 have to be described as - V, i.e. as a bird 

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