284



Correspondence, Notes, etc.



differs very slightly from oirr own bird, but to whichever form it belonged,

the fact of a Nightingale being captured so much farther South than it has

previously been recorded from, is well worthy of especial notice.


D. S.-S.



THE HIMALAYAN BLUE-PIE: THE INDIAN ROLLER.


Sir,— Perhaps you can help me to identify a bird that I bought some

six months ago ; it is a blue Jay of some kind, but the dealer from whom I

bought it could not tell me quite where it came from. I will give its

markings: Head and neck, black, with white spots on the top of head

which the bird can move at will; the back of the bird a very nice light

navy blue; the breast is bluish white; tail black, with white markings

underneath ; the bill is coral red, also the legs and feet. He has been out

in one of my open aviaries all this last week, and will eat hardly anything

but fresh meat; he will come and take pieces out of my hand. Also do you

think it safe to turn two Hunting Cissas out with him next month, also a

pair of Indian Magpies ? I may state lie can kill a Parrakeet or a rat as

well as any dog.


I am sending you either to-morrow or next day, carriage paid, skin of

a lovely bird of the Jay family, belonging to a friend of mine, in the hope

that you will kindly tell me what it is ; he bought it with several other

skins from a sailor, who said he had brought it from Australia. Perhaps

you can tell me if they have ever been imported. I should very much like

to have one or two alive. H. W. BURGESS.


[The bird described is the Himalayan Blue-Pie (Urocissa occipitalis),

a remarkably handsome species. Perhaps some other member who has

kept the bird will give us his experience of it as an aviary bird.

Whether Mr. Burgess’s specimen would agree with the Cissas and Indian

Magpies it is difficult to say 7 , but we should consider the experiment some¬

what risky. *


The skin sent is that of the Indian Roller (Coracias indicus), a species

which is occasionally imported alive into this country, but has naturally not

been studied by aviculturists so well as its European relative. (.See Vol. IV.

pp. 103 and 121; Vol. V. pp. 46, 64 and 182 ; Vol. VII. p. 217 ).—Ed.]



* I have kept many of the Blue-Pies [Urocissa), three species, and several Hunting’

Cissas, and they did not interfere with one another, but they were in a large aviary. The

name “ Indian Magpie” is vague : Probably a Tree-Pie (Demirocifta). A pair of Wandering

Tree-Pies were great favourites here some years ago—but the amount of space is the main

point.—R.P.



