22 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



brownish red, sometimes thinly, at other times densely, 

 sometimes forming a cap at the larger end. Many of 

 them are perfect miniatures of eggs of Merula simil- 

 lima, and recall varieties of those of the English Black- 

 bird. He concludes that they indicate affinity to the 

 typical Thrushes and not to the Wtieatcars, as Ur. 

 Jerdon supposed. 



This species was bred in our Zoological Gardens a.s 

 long ago as ISTo ; but amateurs have not many oppor- 

 tunities of fullowing up this success, the bird being 

 still very dear in the market. Its treatment in captivity 

 should be much the same as with the Shaina. It makes 

 a charming and confiding pet. 



I believe the Rev. C. D. Farrar is the only private 

 successful breeder of the Dayal or Dliyalbird in tliis 

 country. The hen nested in a bo.\ in an indoor aviary, 

 laid three eggs, of which two were hatched. These 

 were reared on mealworms and "clocks," but both were 

 subsequently killed by the cock bird. >Ir. Farrar there- 

 fore decided that in future he would remove the cock 

 as soon as the eggs were laid. (The Aviriillural 

 Magazine, 1st series. Vol. V., pp. 146-7.) 



SF.YCHELLE.tN Dayal (Copsychus sechellaruiii). 



Male. — Blue-black, with a white longitudinal band 

 on each wing ; bill black ; eyes brown ; feet black. 

 Probable female a trifle larger than the male. Habitat, 

 Seychelles. 



The habits of this bird are in all probability similar 

 to those of the Indian bird. It is, in its native home, 

 highly prized as a .«ong-bird, and also for fighting pur- 

 poses, according to Dr. Russ. Hitherto, our Ixindon 

 Zoological Gardens appear to have been the only ones 

 to exhibit it to the public. Its treatment in captivity 

 would be the same as in the case of C. saularis. 



SHAMAS (Ciitocinchi). 



Indi.\x Shama (Cillnrinrla marrura). 



The upper parts of this bird are glossy black, with 

 the exception of the rump, which is white; the wings 

 have dull black Hights, the outer tail feathers are 

 tipped with white, the under parts are rich chestnut. 

 Length, inclusive of tail, 1ft.. but the tail i.s almos' 

 Sin. in length. The bill i.s black, the feet pale flesh 

 colour, and the iride.s are dark brown. 



The female is duller th:in the male, more ashy blaclc ; 

 the flights with narrower pale borders ; white tips to 

 four outer tail feathers smaller ; under surface dis- 

 tinctly paler. 



Occurs throughout all the uncultivated jungly parts 

 of India. Jerdon says of it: — 



" The Shama frequents the densest thickets, and is 

 very partial to thick bamboo jungles. It is almost 

 always solitary, perches on low branches, and hops to 

 the ground to secure a small grasshopper or other 

 insect. When alarmed, it flies before you from tree to 

 tree at no great height. Its song is chiefly heard in 

 the evening, just before and after sunset. It is a most 

 gushing melodv, of great power, surpassed by no 

 Indian bird. In confinement it imitates the notes of 

 other birds, and of various animals, with ease and 

 accuracy. It is caught in great numbers, and caged 

 for its song. Many are brought from the Nepal Terai 

 to Monghyr. rhietly young bird's. It is the practice 

 throughout India to cover the cages of singing birds 

 with cloth, and in .'ome places a fresh piece of cloth 

 is added every year. The birds certainly sing away 

 readily when thus caged, but not more so perhaps 

 than others freely exposed. The Shama is usually fed 



on a paste made of parched clienna, mixed with the 

 yolk of hard-boile<l eggs, and it appears to thrive well 

 on this diet, if a few maggots or insects are given 

 occasionally. It will also eat pieces of raw meat in lieu 

 of insects." 



I asked Colonel C. T. Bingham recently whether he 

 had ever tidcen eggs of the Shama. He replied. 

 "Dozens; the birds always build in holes in bamboo." 

 I see that Hume mentions one of the nests in his 

 " Xests and Eggs of Indian Birds," Vol. II., pp. 86-7: 

 " On the slope of a steep spur of the east watershed 

 range of the Meplay river, in dense bamlioa forest, I 

 found, on April 4th, 1878, a nest of the above bird. 

 A Woodpecker had made a hole in a partially dry 

 wahbo bamboo (Bambusa hraiir/i-^iarta) of immense 

 girth. Of this the Shanin had taken advantage, and 

 having stuffed up the hollow from the next knot below 

 to within 3in. of the hole with dry liamljoo leaves, had 

 above that made a loose cup-shaped nest of twigs and 

 roots. I was eating my lunch, seated on a rock not 

 far from the bamboo in question, and saw the female, 

 after making two or three short flights and baulking 

 herself in the direction of the hole, fimiUv enter it... I 

 approached very cautiously, and stuffing my handker- 

 chief into the entrance hole managed to secure eggs 

 and bird. The former were four in number, slightl.v 

 set, of an oily green colour, much spotted, sjjeckled, and 

 dashed with umber-brown. Thev measured respec- 

 tivelv 0.9in. by 0.62in.. 0.87in. bv 0.62in., 0.85in. bv 

 0.61in., and 0.85 by 0.62in." 



Mr. Hume observes ttiat this species " is a permanent 

 resident of the warm and well-watered jungles of the 

 Peninsula of India and of Burma, but (he says) my only 

 information in regard to its nest and eggs is from 

 Tenasserim and Pegii." . • 



For many years I had wished to possess a Shama, in 

 order to study its song, of which I had only heard 

 scraps at bird shows. It was therefore with consider- 

 able pleasure that I accepted Mr. 11. C. Heselton's kind 

 offer to give me a .-pecimen, perfect in all respects ex- 

 cepting that its toes were somewhat deformed (one foot 

 has five toes, and both hind claws are directed for- 

 ward). This bird reached me through the post in 

 November, 1903, and is still in excellent health. 



The song is rich, powerful, and exceedingly \-aried. 

 As a rule, it is continued in an unbroken changing 

 melody somewhat after the fashion of th.it of the North 

 American Mocking-bird. Then the bird will start upon 

 a set phrase and repeat it over and over again, with 

 a pause between each utterance. Oddly enough, 

 whereas the full song could only be rendered (if at all) 

 by musical notation, the short repetitions sound Vidicu- 

 louslv like human word's. Mv bird frequentlv rejieats 

 the "following:— "What Willv ! What Willv : What 

 W'illy I What Willy! What!"tut, tut!"; " We don't 

 appear to," the second syllable of " appear " much 

 em|)hasised, and ".Several jxiirs of puttee!" These 

 sentences will be repeated until one is almost weary of 

 them, and then suddenly there is a change. 



Mr. Phillipps bix-d the Shama in his garden aviary 

 in 1893, and published an account of his exjjerience in 

 Vol. IV. nf Thi Avii iillural Mai/aziiir. 1st series, 

 pp. 138-142 (1898) : the young were reared upon cock- 

 roaches, mealworms, and gentles. 



CHKSTKTjr-DELUED Shama [Citlocinrta .«i«jri.«). 



Differs from the Indian bird in its su[ierior .^ize, 

 fhortcr tail, the three lateral tail feathers, and the 

 outer portion of the next pair quite whit.?. Dr. Russ 

 (juoted Dr. Sclator as saying that the male hud a black 

 margin to the base of the inner webs of the second and 



