70 



GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS. 



would be a welcome guest in many countries. For such 

 a purpose, however, special arrangements should, if 

 possible, be made for the procuring of wild-caught 

 . birds. 



THE COMMON INDIAN ROBIN (Thamnobia cambaiensis), 

 though not so universally distributed as the Dhayal, is still 

 a common bird in India Proper, though it does not extend 

 to Burma, or go very high up the hills. In form it 

 much resembles the Dhayal, but is a smaller bird, being 

 less than seven inches long. In colour it is a very glossy 

 black, but the upper part of the head and the back 

 are sandy brown ; there is a white patch on the wings, 

 and a chestnut one under the tail. In Southern India 

 and Ceylon the Robins are black above as well as below, 

 and are classed as a distinct species (Thamnobia fulicata). 

 The hen is sandy brown all over, darker on the wings and 

 tail, with the characteristic chestnut patch under the 

 latter. The young are somewhat like the hen, but more or 

 less marked with cinnamon, especially in the southern 

 variety or species. 



In their general habits, nesting and the colour of their 

 eggs, these birds much resemble the Dhayal ; like that bird 

 and the Shama, they have the trick of frequently jerking 

 up their tail till it is quite perpendicular. The smaller 

 members of the Thrush family, indeed, always exhibit a 

 great deal of tail-action in some form or another. 

 These Robins are familiar garden-birds, but they are not* 

 great songsters, and are seldom, if ever, caged. Beside 

 the showy Dhayal indeed, they seem rather common-place, 

 though nice little birds in their way.'~ 



