20 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS. 



markably intelligent. In a cage it is decidedly nervous, 

 but in an aviary becomes very much at home, and shows 

 great inquisitiveness. Many specimens become so tame 

 that they will take food from the fingers when led to 

 the aviary wires. The cock has a very sweet song, very 

 strong for the size of the bird, and altogether it is the 

 most generally attractive small bird I know of every- 

 one seems to admire it. It is easy to keep for it will eat 

 seed and fruit as well as insects, and therefore, like most 

 omnivorous birds, does well on artificial food. Specimens 

 may be had in Calcutta during the winter months at 

 about two rupees each. In England, it fetches about 

 the same price, and is called the Pekin Robin, or even 

 the " Japanese Nightingale." Although so easy to 

 keep, it does not breed readily in captivity. In a wild 

 state, it builds an open nest in a bush, and lays pale- 

 green eggs with red, brown and .purple spots. This 

 would be a most suitable species for acclimatization 

 in all warm temperate climates. 



THE BLUE-WINGED SIVA (Siva cyanuroptera) is a bird 

 of very similar size, but more elegant form, its tail, 

 which is not forked, being longer. The Siva is of a 

 fawn-brown above, and nearly white below, with beauti- 

 ful blue wings and tail ; the bill is yellowish, and the eyes 

 brown. It has much the same range in our hills as the 

 Liothrix, but is not found out of India. In captivity 

 it is comparatively scarce, and is not quite so easy to 

 keep, not caring about seed. However, it is not 

 by any means a delicate bird. Very few, however,, 

 have as yet reached England alive, and it is well worth 



