22 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



brownish red, sometimes thinly, at other times densely, 

 sometimes forming a cap at the larger end. Many of 

 them are perfect miniatures of eggs of Merula simil- 

 lima, and recall varieties of those of the English Black- 

 bird. He concludes that they indicate affinity to the 

 typical Thrushes and not to the Wheatears, as Dr. 

 Jerdon supposed. 



This species was bred in our Zoological Gardens as 

 long ago as 1873 ; but amateurs have not many oppor- 

 tunities of following up this success, the bird being 

 still very dear in the market. Its treatment in captivity 

 should be much the same as with the Shama. It makes 

 a charming and confiding pet. 



I believe the Rev. C. D. Farrar is the only private 

 successful breeder of the Dayal or Dhyal-bird in this 

 country. The hen nested in a box in an indoor aviary, 

 laid three eggs, of which two were hatched. These 

 were reared on mealworms and " clocks," but both were 

 subsequently killed by the cock bird. Mr. Farrar there- 

 fore decided that in future he would remove the cock 

 as soon as the eggs were laid. (The Avu-utturdl 

 Magazine, 1st series, Vol. V., pp. 146-7.) 



SEYCHELLEAN DAYAL (Copsychus sechellarum). 



Male. Blue-black, with a white longitudinal band 

 on each wing ; bill black ; eyes brown ; feet black. 

 Probable female a trifle larger than the male. Habitat, 

 Seychelles. 



The habits of this bird are in all probability similar 

 to those of the Indian bird. It is, in its native home, 

 highly prized as a song-bird, and also for fighting pur- 

 poses, according to Dr. Russ. Hitherto, our London 

 Zoological Gardens appear to have been the only ones 

 to exhibit it to the public. Its treatment in captivity 

 would be the same as in the case of C. saularis. 



SHAMAS (Cittocmcla). 



INDIAX SHAMA (Cittocincla mamira}. 



The upper parts of this bird are glossy black, with 

 the exception of the rump, which is white ; the wings 

 have dull black flights, the outer tail feathers are 

 tipped with white, the under parts are rich chestnut. 

 Length, inclusive of tail, 1ft.. but the tail i.s almost 

 Sin. in length. The bill is black, the feet pale flesh 

 colour, and the irides are dark brown. 



The female is duller than the male, more ashy black ; 

 the flights with narrower pule borders ; white tips to 

 four outer tail feathers smaller ; under surface dis- 

 tinctly paler. 



Occurs throughout all the uncultivated jungly parts 

 of India. Jerdon says of it: 



" The Shama frequents the densest thickets, and is 

 very partial to thick bamboo jungles. It is almost 

 always solitary, perches on low branches, and hops to 

 the ground to secure a small grasshopper or other 

 insect. When alarmed, it flies before you from tree to 

 tree at no great height. Its song is chiefly heard in 

 the evening, just before and after sunset. It is a most 

 gushing melody, of great power, surpassed by no 

 Indian bird. In confinement it imitates the notes of 

 other birds, and of various animals, with ease and 

 accuracy. It is caught in great numbers, and caged 

 for its song. Many are brought from the Nepal Terai 

 to Mynghyr. chiefly young birds. It is the practice 

 throughout India to cover the cages of singing birds 

 with cloth, and in some places a fresh piece of cloth 

 is added every year. The birds certainly sing away 

 readily when thus caged, but not more so perhaps 

 than others freely exposed. The Shama is usually fed 



on a paste made of parched chenna, mixed with the 

 yolk of hard-boiled eggs, and it appears to thrive well 

 on this diet, if a few maggots or insects are given 

 occasionally. It will also eat pieces of raw meat in lieu 

 of insects." 



I asked Colonel C. T. Binsham recently whether he 

 had ever taken eggs of the Shama. He replied. 

 " Dozens ; the birds always build in holes in bamboo." 

 I see that Hume mentions one of the nests in his 

 "Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds," Vol. II., pp. 86-7: 

 " On the slope of a steep spur of the east watershed 

 range of the Meplay river, in dense bamboo forest, I 

 found, on April 4th, 1878, a nest of the above bird. 

 A Woodpecker had made a hole in a partially dry 

 wah bo bamboo (Bambusa brandieiana) of immense 

 girth. Of this the Shama had taken advantage, and 

 having stuffed up the hollow from the next knot below 

 to Avithin 3in. of the hole with dry bamboo leaves, had 

 above that made a loose cup-shaped nest of twigs and 

 roots. I was eating my lunch, seated on a rook not 

 far from the bamboo in question, and saw the female, 

 after making two or three short flights and baulking 

 herself in the direction of the hole, finally enter it. I 

 approached very cautiously, and stuffing my handker- 

 chief into the entrance hole managed to secure eggs 

 and bird. The former were four in number, slightly 

 set, of an oily green colour, much spotted, speckled, and 

 dashed with umber-brown. They measured respec- 

 tively 0.9in. by 0.62in., 0.87in. by 0.62in., 0.85in. by 

 0.61in., and 0.85 by 0.62in." 



Mr. Hume observes that this species " is a permanent 

 resident of the warm and well-watered jungles of the 

 Peninsula of India and of Burma, but (he says) my only 

 information in regard to its nest and eggs is from 

 Tenasserim and Pegu." 



For many years I had wished to possess a Shama, in 

 order to study its song, of which I had only heard 

 scraps at bird shows. It was therefore with consider- 

 able pleasure that I accepted Mr. H. C. Heselton's kind 

 offer to give me a specimen, perfect in all respects ex- 

 cepting; that its toes were somewhat deformed (one foot 

 has five toes, and both hind claws are directed for- 

 ward). This bird reached me through the post in 

 November, 1903, and is still in excellent health. 



The song is rich, powerful, and exceedingly varied. 

 As a rule, it is continued in an unbroken changing 

 melody somewhat after the fashion of that of the North 

 American Mocking-bird. Then the bird will start upon 

 a set phrase and repeat it over and over again, with 

 a pause between each utterance. Oddly enough, 

 whereas the full song could only be rendered (if at all) 

 by musical notation, the short repetitions sound ridicu- 

 lously like human words. My bird frequently repeats 

 the 'following: "What Willy! What Willy! What 

 Willy! What Willy! What! 'tut, tut!"; "We don't 

 appear to," the second syllable of " appear " much 

 emphasised, and "Several pairs of puttee!" These 

 sentences will be repeated until one is almost weary of 

 them, and then suddenly there is a change. 



Mr. Phillipps bred the Shama in his garden aviary 

 in 1893, and published an account of his experience in 

 Vol. IV. of Tli" AriciiHnral Mat/azitic. 1st senY.-. 

 pp. 138-142 (1898) : the young were reared upon cock- 

 roaches, mealworms, and gentles. 



SHAMA (Cittocinda suavis]. 



Differs from the Indian bird in its superior size, 

 shorter tail, the three lateral tail feathers, and the- 

 outer portion of the next pair quite white. Dr. Russ 

 quoted Dr. Sclater as saying that the male had a black 

 man-in to the base of the inner webs of the second and 



