66 GARDEN AND AVIABY BIRDS. 



sweet song of these birds. About Colombo it is also 

 common. Everywhere, however, the hen is far less 

 often seen than the cock. Whether there are actually 

 fewer females, or whether they escape observation on 

 account of their undoubtedly more retiring habits, I do 

 not know. The Dhayal is not a sociable bird, and even 

 the pair are not usually seen in close company. It is, 

 however, as above implied, not timid, and could pro- 

 bably be made very tame by a little encourage- 

 ment, such as throwing out cockroaches or crickets 

 for it. It will certainly readily take disabled insects 

 put in its way, and as it builds in any sort of hole, a little 

 box or even an earthen pot, put up in some safe place, 

 would probably be gratefully accepted as house-accom- 

 modation. The nest, as is usual in hole-building birds, 

 is rather a rough affair ; the eggs are five in number, 

 greenish with rusty spots. The young are not difficult 

 to rear for insectivorous birds, and make nice pets. 

 But the Dhayal is not much caged in India, as his more 

 gifted relative, the Shama, to be noticed next, is 

 easily obtainable. He has, however, been induced 

 to breed in captivity, both in India and in England. 

 The birds which were bred from here by Mr. F. Groser, 

 of Alipore, were a hand-reared hen and a wild-caught 

 cock, and two young were reared and lived to attain their 

 full plumage ; they were brother and sister. Mr. Groser 

 told me that on the decease of the old hen the discon- 

 solate widower was so determined not to marry again 

 that he has killed all subsequent wives submitted for his 

 approval ? Where the Dhayal is common, it is, I think, 



