Birds of the Indian Hills 



bright red. It is thus evident that the liothrix 

 is a handsome bird, its beauty being of the 

 quiet type which bears close inspection. But 

 the very great charm of this sprightly little 

 creature lies, not so much in its colouring, as in 

 its form and movements. Its perfect propor- 

 tions give it a very athletic air. In this respect 

 it resembles the nimble wagtails. Next to 

 these I like the appearance of the Pekin-robin 

 better than that of any other little bird. Finn 

 bestows even greater praise upon it, for he says : 

 " Altogether it is the most generally attractive 

 small bird I know of — everyone seems to 

 admire it." 



There is no bird more full of life. When 

 kept in a cage, Pekin-robins hop from perch 

 to perch with extraordinary agility, seeming 

 scarcely to have touched one perch with their 

 feet before they are off to another. I am in- 

 clined to think that the liothrix, like Camilla, 

 Queen of the Volscians, could trip across a 

 field of corn without causing the blades to 

 move. This truly admirable bird is a songster 

 of no mean capacity. Small wonder, then, that 

 it has long been a favourite with fanciers. 

 Moreover, it stands captivity remarkably well. 

 It is the only insectivorous bird which is largely 

 i34 



