THE 



EDIBLE AND GAME BIRDS 



OF 



BRITISH INDIA 



WITH ITS DEPENDENCIES AND CEYLON. 

 • OEDER.— PASSERIFORMES. 



Section— FRINGILLIFORMES. 



Family .—FRINGILLID.f:. 



Birds with conical bill, usually entire at the tip, the lower mandible generally 

 of the same proportion as the upper, but in some deeper ; margin of bill not 

 toothed or indented ; wings moderate ; tail moderate or short, even, rounded 

 or emarginated ; feet fitted for walking on the ground. They are chiefly 

 ground-feeders, and while some may be said to be omnivorous, others feed 

 almost exclusively on grain. They nidificate on trees, holes in rocks, or 

 banks of nullahs and river beds. Plumage generally plain, in some only 

 sandy. They are usually possessed of much intelligence, and there are 

 among them some of the most familiar birds, which are the most appreciable 

 songsters. The gizzard of many is thick and muscular, and in such cases 

 the birds swallow stone, or gravel, to assist the trituration of the seeds they 

 feed on. 



Sub-Family.— EMBERiziN^. 



Bill flattened on the sides, smaller and more compressed than in Passer, the 

 edges indented or waved— a palatal knob on upper mandible ; wings pointed ; 

 tarsi moderate, scutate ; hind toe longer than inner ; tail moderate, even, or 

 emarginate. 



Gen. Emberiza. 



■Bill small; second to 4th quills longest; tail rather forked; outermost 

 feather white or whitish. 



All the species of this Genus, are snared in great numbers wherever they 

 occur, and brought to market for sale as Ortolan. That they are its allies 

 there can be no doubt, but besides members of the Emberizinas, the common 

 crested and other Larks, Finches, and Sparrows also do duty for it. As in 

 England, dealers keep as many as five or six hundred at a time of all species, 

 including Pyrrhulauda grisca, iu large cages and feed them most liberally on 



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