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THE CAGE-BIRDS OF CALCUTTA. 

 By F. Finn, 



Deputy Superintendent, Indian Museum, Calcutta. 



The taste for keeping pet birds is a very old one in India, exotic forms, 

 such as Cockatoos, having besn imported so long ago as the time of Jehangir,. 

 to judge from the representation of a yellow-crested species in a picture dat- 

 ing from the reign of that monarch which I had an opportunity of inspecting 

 some time ago. And even to-day in Calcutta many birds are commonly to be 

 seen in captivity hailing both from various parts of India itself and from 

 other countries, although " the fancy" is no longer what it was, and both the 

 demand and supply have dwindled away sadly. Nevertheless, enough birds 

 are to be seen to arouse keen interest in English amateurs ; and this is especi- 

 ally noticeable in the case of '* soft-billed " or insectivoroois and frugivorous 

 forms, which are very extensively kept in India. 



Calcutta rejoices in a very well-known bird-market in Tiretta Bazaar ; and as 

 this is within an easy walk of the Museum, I have long been in the habit of 

 paying it frequent visits. One or two dealers in the Provision Bazaar also 

 keep cage-birds ; but Tiretta is the leading emporium for pets, always excepting 

 Mr, W. Rutledge's establishment in South Road,Entally. There business has 

 been carried on for nearly h^lf a century, Mr. Rutledge dealing in living 

 animals of all kinds ; and many very choice birds pass through his hands, 

 though he naturally does not trouble himself greatly about the commoner 

 species. To him I have long been indebted for much information concerning 

 birds and the methods pursued in keeping them. 



Few birds seem to be kept or bred in aviaries here ,• small cages with a single 

 inmate, or larger receptacles containing several, are chiefly in vogue ; and as 

 the objectionable custom of covering up birds kept for song is almost univer- 

 sally followed, it is not easy to determine the exact species of the occupants 

 in many cases, though the note often affords a clue to the captive's identity. 

 Cages for small singing-birds ars usually oblong with a vaulted roof, and 

 provided with two perches, or are square with a pyramidal top, containing 

 only one perch ; they are fitted with large comfortable handles, as it is the 

 custom to take cage-birds out continually in order to give them fresh air. 



Larger birds are kept in big wicker cages with a domed or hemispherical 

 top, and Parrots in similar round domiciles of iron, or chained to iron swings. 

 All native cages have a barred floor, instead of the drawer arrangement 

 so familiar to home amateurs, but a mat is often provided to cover the 

 bottom. Food and water-vessels are always placed inside, in my opinion very 

 wisely. Sand is not given, except to Larks and Partridges. 



" Soft-billed " birds are fed on the flour of gram, a kind of pulse, made up 

 into a paste with ghee ( clarified butter ). This " satoo " seems to suit them 

 very well ; it is supplemented, in the case of purely insectivorous species, by a 

 daily ration of live maggots and grasshoppers. The breeding of the former 

 and the collection of the latter form the trade of a number of professional 



