( Sbp ) 
the bird. These birds are usually seen, solitary, associating in 
pairs ; at times, feeding and exercising themselves not far from 
other groups, though they don’t seem to be on the best of 
terms with small birds, merely on sufferance. The more timid and 
cultured ones can’t appreciate their rough and ready manners. In 
habits the Blue-magpie is restless, hopping about and trying various 
fancy tricks on the branches, with damage to its longest train 
feathers. Or flying from tree to tree, usually tallest ones in the 
forest. These magpies keep much to the tops of trees, high up 
among the foliage, occasionally descending to lower branches. 
Colour of this species, above, is ash, with a purplish tinge ; upper 
tail-coverts are spotted black ; head, neck and breast are deep black ; 
tail feathers are edged bluish, broadly tipped black and white ; wings 
and tail are cobalt blue ; beneath from breast is whitish with a 
strong tinge of ashy purplish colour. The yellow bill showing out 
distinctly. This magpie has a shrill call, much resembling the 
Lepcha name Tying jong ring, in a metallic pitch and tone. Sinen- 
sis lives much on ripe fruit and berries. It is very partial to fruit 
of the papiya tree, which is found in gardens at a lower elevation ; 
but it cares little to descend to low altitudes. I had a pair of these 
birds for several years. They grew tame and displayed all the 
characteristics of their congeners. Together with fruit, ground 
parched gram steeped in water was their usual diet, but grass- 
hoppers and caterpillars had to be given occasionally as they, ap- 
peared to lose weight if this latter food was withheld. 
(673) CissA SINENSIS, G'reen-Jay, or as some people would like 
to eall it the “blue jay” (of course not Coracias, Indian Roller 123) 
is the richest coloured bird we have of this group. This beautiful 
jay is fond of more tropical skies and vegetation. It is seldom seen 
over 4,000 to 5,000 feet elevation. You will doubtlessly meet the 
Green Jay, in warm valleys in Sikkim and denser forests skirting 
Teesta and Runjeet rivers, in the district. Occasionally you will 
see species, at the foot of Mineral Springs forest, by the side of 
Rungdong khola, where it can b> seen hunting among denser foliage 
of trees for bigger class of insects, locusts and mantes, sometimes: 
moths and butterflies. Sinensis is 154 inches in size; bill and legs 
coral red ; irides dark chesnut ; orbits vermilion. The rich, beauti- 
ful plumage of this species is most striking, more so, when it is met 
with foraging among green leaves of the woods. In general ap- 
pearance it is a pretty, pale chrysophrase green, at times with a 
hInish tinge ; head has an ample crest, which is yellowish in colour ; 
it has a prominent black streak or line from lores to nape of the 
neck, past the eyes ; wing coverts and quills are dark brick red ; 
secondaries are tipped pale bluish-green and edged black ; dark red 
on the coverts and quills gives a striking “fingure marked ” 
