272 Timehri. 
habitations ; but retires to quiet places for nesting purposes. It feeds on fruit, 
as all tanagars do, and occasional insects. No aviary can be quite complete 
without apair of these good-mannered, peaceable and, if I may say so, lady-like 
creatures. But I have never seen them exhibit any particular mark of intelli- 
gence. 
Tae Pato Sackt. 
First cousin to the above is the Palm Sacki (Tanagra palmarum). This, in 
shape and habit, is almost identical with the Blue Sacki, but is in no wise so 
striking a bird ; it is distinctly a “ poor relation.’ In colour it is generally a 
dull sage or earth-green with very dark, almost black, primaries. It varies 
considerably both in size and colour and one I have is a light, purplish blue, 
almost like a Blue Sacki ; but its feathers have not the soft, wool-like, appear- 
ance, Like its more refined cousin, it frequents towns, and will often make a 
tour of inspection within houses and other buildings. It’s note is louder ; it is 
a cry of surprise, as if it were saying : ““ Oh! what is all this fuss about ? ~ 
But it has no song. Like its cousin, it is also a lively cage bird, making full 
use of the place at its disposal and often springing in a dancing kind of way 
upon the perch. 
Tue CasHew Sack. 
Closely allied to the foregoing is the Cashew Sacki (Rhamphocelus jacapa). 
The hen bird is dark, dull, brick-red with a stouter beak and longer tail than the 
former, the primaries and tail a darker hue. But the cock-bird! The body is a 
deep maroon red with a texture like plush velvet, the back, wings, and tail being 
very much darker and at a distance might be taken for black. The iris is 
bright red and the lower bill, which is remarkably broad at the base, is a striking 
bluish white, the top bill, or to speak scientifically, the maxilla, being, in strong 
contrast, narrow and jet black. The bird is fairly common in the town and 
its sharp, short, crisp ringing note of alarm is unmistable. It is shy, however, 
and hides behind the palm leaves ; but the strikingly white under-bill of the 
cock and the deep, rich plush-like breast when the light strikes it, makes him a 
conspicuous object. I suppose the reason why it is never seen in a cage is 
because it has no song. Someone sent me a young specimen and what a noise 
he made when taken in the hand, fighting and pecking ! He soon made himself 
at home in the cage, and showed decided intelligence in the way he imitated the 
other occupants, taking food and water and a bath, and sometimes, in his good 
humour, poking the other birds with his bill. It was amusing to see the look of 
dignified surprise with which the Blue Sacki received this token of good will. 
He opened his uplifted bill as if he would exclaim : “ Well, I never!” but was too 
gentlemanly to return the familiar onslaught. I lost this promising youngster ; 
I had him in my hand to sketch him more accurately when he fluttered and 
escaped. Later on, however, another was sent to me, and I had the good for- 
tune to capture both parents, for the young bird, though it had left the nest, 
was still, so to speak, in leading strings and the parental instinct to feed it still 
was strong. The father bird when caught made a great ado, dashing about the 
cage and making his indignation known by loud cries. “ What! What! 
What's this ?’ he seemed to be demanding in imperious tones. The hen, after 
