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More about the Spotted Whig.



The special point to bear in mind in considering the fore¬

going records is the fact that all of the birds in question were

hand-raised-birds that cannot have gained anything by experi¬

ence or education from acts performed by their parents ; and all

of their doings that I have recorded I suggest are in the line of

pure instinct.


William E. D. Scott.


Princeton Univerisity,


United States of America.



MORE ABOUT THE SPOTTED WING.


Psaroglossa spiloptera.


Since I wrote my article upon this bird in the December

number of this Magazine, I have purchased the second edition

of Hume’s “ Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds.” At p. 162 of the

first volume Mr. Oates makes the following remarks about the

species:—


“The eggs are so different in character from those of all

the Starlings that doubts might necessarily arise as to whether

this species is placed exactly where it ought to be by Jerdon and

others. I possess at present only three eggs of this bird, which

I owe to Captain Hutton. They are decidedly long ovals, much

pointed towards the small end, and in shape and coloration not

a little recal those of Myiophoneus temmincki. The eggs are

glossless, of a greenish or greyish-white ground, more or less

profusely speckled and spotted with red, reddish brown, and

dingy purple. In two of the eggs the majority of the markings

are gathered into a broad irregular speckled zone round the large

end. In the third egg there is just a trace of such a zone and no

markings at all elsewhere. In length they vary from i - 03 to

ro8, and in breadth from o'68 to 074.”


Colonel Charles Bingham, who is familiar with Psaroglossa

in a wild state replied, when I asked him his opinion as to the

natural position of the species :—“ Undoubtedly a Bulbul ; it

agrees with the Bulbuls in almost all its actions when at

liberty.”



