HUNTING CISSA.— C'ism Sinensis. 



to certain peculiarities in the colouiing, hereafter to be described, a specimen is very 

 seldom obtained in first-rate condition, and never takes its place in our museums glowing 

 in all the resplendent tints with which it is so liberally gifted. It is a very brisk and 

 lively bird, and, like many others of the same group, is much given to imitating other 

 birds, performing its mimicry with wonderful truth, and copying not only their voices, but 

 even their peculiar gestures. 



It is much more carnivorous in its tastes than would be imagined from an inspection 

 of its form and plumage, and it possesses many of the habits of the shrikes, not' only 

 killing and eating the smaller birds, but hanging its food upon branches in true shrike 

 fashion. It is an excellent hunter, and as it can be easily tamed and taught to hunt after 

 small birds for the amusement of its owner, it has earned the name of Hunting Crow. In 

 its native country it is very commonly kept in captivity, and even in England has lived 

 for a considerable time in a cage in the gardens of the Zoological Society. The voice of 

 the Hunting Cissa is loud and screeching, but possesses withal a certain joviality of utter- 

 ance that renders it far from unpleasing. 



The colour of this bird is singularly beautiful, and may challenge comparison with that 

 of any other bird of either hemisphere. The general hue is a pale but bright grassy green, 

 very vivid upon the upper x^arts, and taking a yellowish tint below ; there is also a dash 

 of yellow across the forehead and the sides of the crest. A broad black band crosses the 

 forehead, and, enveloping the eye in its progress, passes round the back of the neck. The 

 qrdll-feathers of the wing are mostly bright chestnut-red, and the tips of the inner quill- 

 feathers are grey, diversified with a bold semilunar black band near their extremities. The 

 central feathers of the tail are green, taking a greyer tinge at their extremities, and all the 

 other tail-feathers are bright gi-een for the first two-thirds of their length, are then crossed 

 with a bold broad black band, and the tips are greyish white. The legs, bill, and feet 

 are bright scarlet. The size of the Hunting Cissa is about equal to that of a common 

 magpie. 



These beautiful colours are unfortunately never seen except for a very short time after 

 moulting, as they rapidly fade by exposure to light, even during the life of the bird, and 



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