246 BOMBAY DUCKS 



Ornithologists have saddled this bird with the name 

 of Xantholcema hczmatocephala. Since many persons 

 will find this rather a mouthful, it is necessary to 

 remark that it is scientifically correct to call the bird 

 the crimson-breasted barbet. He is a coarse, showy 

 bird. He may often be seen in the Moore Market at 

 Madras, and, not infrequently, hawkers in the Mount 

 Road offer the bird for sale. There are usually some 

 coppersmiths in the Museum, in a cage near the en- 

 trance. These birds are made to share a dwelling 

 with other species, such as Brahminy mynas. Under 

 such conditions the coppersmiths never survive long. 

 It is not that they are killed by the other inmates 

 of the cage or that they cannot endure confinement. 

 The reason of their speedy death is that the grain 

 which is meat to so many birds is death to the copper- 

 smith. If the latter be fed purely on fruit, he will 

 often survive long in captivity. But the captive bird 

 is not happy ; no matter how warm the weather be, he 

 never goes to work at his forge. 



But this is a digression. To return to the appear- 

 ance of the bird. It always puts me in mind of a 

 woman who " makes up " very carelessly, who is not 

 only exceedingly lavish of the paint, but does not 

 understand how to shade it off gradually. The general 

 colour of the bird's plumage is greenish, but on close 

 inspection many greyish-white feathers are seen to be 

 mingled with the green ones. There is a daub of 

 crimson on the forehead and another on the throat. 

 The sides of the face are pale yellow. The legs are 

 coral-red. The build of the bird is exceedingly coarse. 



